Single mom thinking of relocating to Dallas from Southern Californi (Fort Worth: extended stay, apartment)

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by jbiggs

Not a surprise at all when you consider the job market in DFW is not the rosy picture many would like to believe. I know two people with Doctorates performing work that in the past never even required a degree to enter in. When it comes time to pay the bills people will do whatever it takes.

I gotta' say, reading these sorts of things flies in face of what I see at my company every day.

Lately I've run two adds on the country's best fee based website for what we do. The jobs are quite a bit above entry level - $30/45K. I've yet, with one exception, to have anyone with an MS even send in a resume.

You guys do know that UE in Texas for college grads is below 4%?

[EDS_]

I think it's about time for me to spend an hour compiling a bunch of Texas-y employment stats. Some of you guys are so negative - you are clearly out of touch with reality or you are looking at the Texas Democratic Party - anti Perry - talking points every day.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by EDS_

I think it's about time for me to spend an hour compiling a bunch of Texas-y employment stats. Some of you guys are so negative - you are clearly out of touch with reality or you are looking at the Texas Democratic Party - anti Perry - talking points every day.

Go ahead and compile. These are the REAL facts behind the January headline that "Texas created 44,000 new jobs- the BEST in the USA!!!!!" (from a post I made on the Texas forum in March 2011).

The story has been much the same over the past few years- there are lots of jobs being created here, but the majority of them are minimum or low wage, not the kind of job on which a single person could support a small family.

Here are some FACTS about the quality of jobs created in TX in January:

Texas added 44,100 jobs in January, but unemployment rate was flat | Dallas-Fort Worth Business News - News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News


15,800 jobs in trade, transportation and utilities, a category that includes the retail business. -> 1/3 of all new jobs in VERY LOW PAYING industries. NOT GOOD.

7,600 positions in Education and health services --> ok, I'll give you that these have a high chance of being good, $40k+ paying jobs.

5,500 positions in government --> this makes sense as the Legislature is back in session. Many of these are short-term/ temporaryjobs though.

3,700 positions in construction --> typically, laborers in Texas make $7-14/ hour ($15k-$28k per year) and managers make $50k+. How many of thesejobs do you think were paying $15k and how many were paying $50k? I think we know the ratio was about 50:1 in favor of the cheap laborer positions.

Lost 3,800 jobs in leisure & hospitality--> NOT a good sign as it could indicate that people are cutting back on entertainment/ disposable spending.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by EDS_

I gotta' say, reading these sorts of things flies in face of what I see at my company every day.

Lately I've run two adds on the country's best fee based website for what we do. The jobs are quite a bit above entry level - $30/45K. I've yet, with one exception, to have anyone with an MS even send in a resume.

You guys do know that UE in Texas for college grads is below 4%?

The 4% unemployment doesn't take into account the college graduates who are under-employed or doing other jobs to pay the bills. I know a girl with a Master's in Education who has been temping for 2 straight years after being laid off by DISD in their budget fiasco. I know another girl with a Master's in Spanish who is working a sales job at Anthropologie. I know a couple of guys who ended up in sales (jobs that certainly don't require an MBA) after being laid off in finance in early 2009. Another guy with a MBA was unemployed for over 3 years and just recently landed a consulting job.

Plus, OP doesn't have a college degree. So she is actually in a pool of candidates whose unemployement rate in TX is closer to 13-15%, not 4%.

[hamiltonpl]

Originally Posted by EDS_

What?

Did I stutter?

[jbiggs]

Originally Posted by EDS_

I gotta' say, reading these sorts of things flies in face of what I see at my company every day.

The world does not revolve around one company!

Lately I've run two adds on the country's best fee based website for what we do. The jobs are quite a bit above entry level - $30/45K. I've yet, with one exception, to have anyone with an MS even send in a resume.

Again the world does not revolve around one company!

You guys do know that UE in Texas for college grads is below 4%?

What does that have to do with all of the unemployed people in Texas? The official current unemployment rate in Texas is 8.1%. That is the "official" rate and does not include the underemployed and those who ran out of UE benefits and dropped off of TWC's radar.

Responses in blue above.

[jbiggs]

Originally Posted by EDS_

I think it's about time for me to spend an hour compiling a bunch of Texas-y employment stats. Some of you guys are so negative - you are clearly out of touch with reality or you are looking at the Texas Democratic Party - anti Perry - talking points every day.

Interesting that you state it is about time for you to compile stats? You appear to be representing yourself as some type of HR and/or hiring manager and have to compile stats? Seems you would already have done that? But of course the unemployment in Texas does not revolve around one company as you would like to believe.

While you are compiling the stats be sure to include the thousands of educators and staff that will be hitting the job hunting scene come the end of this school year. Also don't forget to add in all of the people whose UE compensation has run out and are no longer in the TWC system. Don't forget to add in all of the underemployed who have had to take part time jobs as that is all they can find.

When you are all done compiling your stats why not present them to the Governor (Perry, if you did not know who it is) who has been proclaiming Texas as the "Land of milk and honey" for many years.

[jbiggs]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Go ahead and compile. These are the REAL facts behind the January headline that "Texas created 44,000 new jobs- the BEST in the USA!!!!!" (from a post I made on the Texas forum in March 2011).

The story has been much the same over the past few years- there are lots of jobs being created here, but the majority of them are minimum or low wage, not the kind of job on which a single person could support a small family.

Here are some FACTS about the quality of jobs created in TX in January:

Texas added 44,100 jobs in January, but unemployment rate was flat | Dallas-Fort Worth Business News - News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News


15,800 jobs in trade, transportation and utilities, a category that includes the retail business. -> 1/3 of all new jobs in VERY LOW PAYING industries. NOT GOOD.

7,600 positions in Education and health services --> ok, I'll give you that these have a high chance of being good, $40k+ paying jobs.

5,500 positions in government --> this makes sense as the Legislature is back in session. Many of these are short-term/ temporaryjobs though.

3,700 positions in construction --> typically, laborers in Texas make $7-14/ hour ($15k-$28k per year) and managers make $50k+. How many of thesejobs do you think were paying $15k and how many were paying $50k? I think we know the ratio was about 50:1 in favor of the cheap laborer positions.

Lost 3,800 jobs in leisure & hospitality--> NOT a good sign as it could indicate that people are cutting back on entertainment/ disposable spending.

Excellent stats and information! Just repped Ya!

[hamiltonpl]

Originally Posted by EDS_

I think it's about time for me to spend an hour compiling a bunch of Texas-y employment stats. Some of you guys are so negative - you are clearly out of touch with reality or you are looking at the Texas Democratic Party - anti Perry - talking points every day.

There are anti-Perry talking points everyday? Complaining about an issue existing in the state doesn't make someone the opposite political party as the one in power. We should be able to talk about what is going on in our lives and this state without being labeled as to political party.

In fact, it is really sad that simply observing something in your own life is considered biased -- for or against -- a political party.

Republicans can disagree amongst themselves. The only political party where its members all believed the same way was the Communist Party.

[skids929]

I could be wrong here, but I am going to go out on a limb and say the OP has been scared away.