Any signs of the job market improving? (Tampa: rental car, rental) - Tampa Bay - Florida (FL) -Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater - City-Data Forum

NYorker4now · 02-13-2011, 06:33 PM

I know from reading the forums that the job market in the area has been pretty bad. Does anyone see any signs of improvement?

I'm a CPA and I'm hopeful that when I'm ready to move to the area I will be able to find something.

Thanks

BucFan · 02-13-2011, 06:57 PM

That's one of the problems w/ cities like Tampa - a lot of people move to the area to find work - causing our area's unemployment rates to be higher than other areas. That's the nature of our city - and a lot of poeple come with little or no education/skills (unlike yourself w/ accounting skills). Other cities (like Las Vegas for instance) has a similar problem where people move the area seeking jobs then inflate their unemployment rates.

Not sure if Tampa has any industry that is coming out of the recession any quicker than the rest of the country - wouldn't recommend the area now.

Good luck.

BucFan · 02-13-2011, 07:51 PM

TAMPA - In a city grappling with a sluggish economy and record high unemployment, it's one of the top issues for Tampa's voters in the March 1 city elections: job creation.

Not surprisingly, the five mayoral candidates are touting their plans for jump-starting the city's sluggish economy, attracting investment and improving the employment market.

Their proposals run from providing tax incentives and streamlining the city's permitting process – removing barriers for small business owners – to investing in high-tech and transportation projects to attract multinational corporations that will bring jobs.

Financial experts point out that governments don't create jobs, but say big cities like Tampa can be magnets for economic growth that will improve the employment sector.

To accomplish that, Bob Rohrlack, president & CEO of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, said the next mayor needs to be "the No.1 economic developer" for the city and business sector and "not just a salesman shaking hands and going to meetings."

"We want to see a strengthening of the government and business relationship," he said. "Tampa is a great market, but we have got to be seen as though we're in the game."

Rohrlack said the next mayor should focus on "strategic incentives" to attract high-tech and bio-tech companies in a specific geographic area, similar to an enterprise zone.

"You need to create a zone, one that attracts that kind of investment," he said.

Tampa mayoral candidates address jobs, economic growth

BucFan · 02-13-2011, 07:52 PM

Jobs available, but no takers (http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/telemarketing-jobs-no-takers-020911 - broken link)

tewas · 02-14-2011, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BucFan

Jobs available, but no takers (http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/telemarketing-jobs-no-takers-020911 - broken link)

I would not take telemarketers job, but i'm sure that i would be able to find suitable for myself fairly quickly with my skills and low expectations

For anyone struggling with income, i think this is great opportunity to get some dollars in their pockets. Not the best job in a world, but its something and it pays fairly well.

num1baby · 02-14-2011, 08:01 AM

My previous boss is an accountant. His firm has been here for over 30 years. Unfortunately, I am no longer working for him because his clients couldn't afford to pay him. Service industries (accounting is one of them) have been hit hard and it is going to take a while before people can pay for services like these again. Of course I am not talking about the annual returns, but the monthly accounting that will pay your bills. When the clients stop making money, they can't pay you. It is a tough business right now.

NALEXAND · 02-14-2011, 09:00 AM

NYorker,
It is sluggish right now but I do see a sign of improvement. I work in the financial industry and have been submitting my resume for the last 2 years with very little responses, however, since the 2nd week of January my phone has literally been ringing off of the hook from recruiters. That is a very good sign.

NYorker4now · 02-14-2011, 01:04 PM

Thank you all. This is insightful local knowledge and very helpful.

Maggi07 · 02-14-2011, 01:34 PM

My husband is trying to hire a few more people. He had a hard time getting positions filled several months ago and is having the same difficulty now.

These positions are well paid, in keeping with the level of experience and education required. I still don't understand it. He had only three applicants for the last position he filled.

Maybe they need to advertise differently or something...

So, I guess I would say that I believe it is slowly getting better, but people might be holding out for that "perfect" job. Or they would rather stick with the unemployment. It's got to be hard to get an accurate unemployment number taking all things into consideration.

num1baby · 02-14-2011, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggi07

My husband is trying to hire a few more people. He had a hard time getting positions filled several months ago and is having the same difficulty now.

These positions are well paid, in keeping with the level of experience and education required. I still don't understand it. He had only three applicants for the last position he filled.

Maybe they need to advertise differently or something...

So, I guess I would say that I believe it is slowly getting better, but people might be holding out for that "perfect" job. Or they would rather stick with the unemployment. It's got to be hard to get an accurate unemployment number taking all things into consideration.

He could be having a hard time filling the positions for several reasons. Job searchers are for the most part very jaded now. My husband has been unemployed for 2 years and I lost my job (mentioned in an above post) 5 months ago. I was able to find a job and start in under a week from losing my old job. Sound amazing? It isn't. I have a bachelor's degree and took my current job starting at $10 per hour. I have since gotten a raise, but nothing that would be considered a good wage. I have seen other jobs out there that I would be qualified for that pay better, but am afraid to make the change while I have some stability here.

My husband doesn't have a degree and most of his experience has been in rental cars. So many of those offices closed that any time one of the remaining offices needs more help, they have a giant pool to pick from. Unfortunately, for some reason, people don't think that the skills picked up in that job are transferable to any other position. He ran out of unemployment a LONG time ago, so we have been living on a salary that has dropped down to a little more than 1/4 what we were bringing home 3 years ago. At this point he will take almost any job. He will not drive an hour away for a job that barely pays minimum wage and is only part time. It is not worth the money to send him all that way (gas, child care, etc). Other than that, he just wants someone to take a chance on him.

Others may not be applying because of the way the ad is worded. There are so many scams out there that a good paying job being advertised looks like a scam. Between that and people being afraid to jump to another job that is more fitting to their background, he could be having a hard time finding qualified people.

I know several people looking for work right now. If you could PM me the info, I could see if any of these people may fit the bill. I have an HR background (for a larger company before the accountants) so I can understand the difficulties of hiring the right person for the job.