[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by jghorton

People who sit around and whine about there being no 'big pay jobs' (in Florida or anywhere else) are unlikely to qualify for 'big pay jobs' anywhere. People who are qualified to do those jobs are very much in demand ... and also know that those jobs are not the 'low hanging fruit' one finds by simply mailing-out resumes and spending time in HR departments.

There are plenty of jobs in Florida, including 'big pay jobs' -- and then, like anywhere else, there are a ton of mediocre, low paying jobs available to those who simply follow the crowd. There are 'no jobs' for those with few qualifications and limited skills ... who hang-out in their parent's basement, hoping someone will call them on the phone -- 'begging' them to take a high-paying, no skills required job.

Pretty much would be my exact answer. Actually, there are TONS of jobs in Florida right now. But it depends what one is looking for. People who claim "no jobs" are both lying and/or ignorant, and usually a "Florida hater" - we have loads of "Florida haters" on this forum.

[hotkarl]

I figured it was doom and gloomers.
I checked the crap out of craigslist and some other job sites and it seems like there is no shortage of jobs. Especially trades, service, etc...
I just hear a lot of people crying how there are no good jobs, blah blah blah.
I suppose if you expect to make 100k a year at a 30 hour a week job then yeah maybe not too many jobs.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

I figured it was doom and gloomers.
I checked the crap out of craigslist and some other job sites and it seems like there is no shortage of jobs. Especially trades, service, etc...
I just hear a lot of people crying how there are no good jobs, blah blah blah.
I suppose if you expect to make 100k a year at a 30 hour a week job then yeah maybe not too many jobs.

Correct. Some folks think they should get $20 an hour but they have nothing to offer
an employer except a warm body and a bad attitude.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

I figured it was doom and gloomers.
I checked the crap out of craigslist and some other job sites and it seems like there is no shortage of jobs. Especially trades, service, etc...
I just hear a lot of people crying how there are no good jobs, blah blah blah.
I suppose if you expect to make 100k a year at a 30 hour a week job then yeah maybe not too many jobs.

I think a lot of people in Florida see wages in San Francisco, San Jose, New York City etc and compare it to the wages in Florida. What they don't understand is the cost of living in these areas are SO MUCH HIGHER! The average rent for a 1 bedroom in San Francisco is now over $3,500. Most places require 3x gross income, so you're looking at $126,000 per year just to qualify for an average 1 bedroom. The median HOUSEHOLD income is around $77,000, which is why most people who aren't under rent control end up living in shared apartments. The idea of living in a shared apartment when you are a professional is absurd to most people in Florida. It's really just a matter of ignorance and thinking the grass if greener on the other side.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

I figured it was doom and gloomers.
I checked the crap out of craigslist and some other job sites and it seems like there is no shortage of jobs. Especially trades, service, etc...
I just hear a lot of people crying how there are no good jobs, blah blah blah.
I suppose if you expect to make 100k a year at a 30 hour a week job then yeah maybe not too many jobs.

It's more about expecting to make over 50K per year. There aren't a whole lot of those jobs to be had in any field when factoring the number of applicants applying for them. Orlando for example is on average the lowest salaried big city in the country with the average for all residents sitting at just below 30K.

[hotkarl]

I'm going to be semi retired so I don't need a boatload of money.
I think my biggest issue will be either myself or my wife getting something with benefits.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

I'm going to be semi retired so I don't need a boatload of money.
I think my biggest issue will be either myself or my wife getting something with benefits.

You can look into some mutual funds for retirees, or if you just want something very small, Ally Bank has no fee online savings accounts paying 0.99%.

[NALEXAND]

It is simply untrue. I have a very good white collar job. I make more money here than I did in the DC area.

Originally Posted by hotkarl

Are there really no jobs in Florida or is it really no "big pay" jobs?
I'm in NY and everyone is whining about there being "no" jobs, but when you dig further you find out that it's really about no jobs in certain fields, mainly the stuff that pays big money, mostly white collar stuff.
By me, there is no shortage of work for people who don't mind getting their hands dirty in the blue collar trades. Or, retail, which notoriously pays crap but it's still a job.
So what is the real deal?

[justNancy]

I've been reading these comments, and I don't know why people assume those who have low paying jobs are uneducated. I've met plenty of people working in stores who are college graduates, but they gave up trying to find jobs in their fields.

There are some cheerleaders on this forum who will also tell you it never rains in Florida. But facts are facts. 45% of FL households struggle to pay for basic necessities. 54% of all jobs pay under $15/hr. Here is my source:

[url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-rscol-oped0119-20150116-column.html]Florida's low-wage jobs nothing to brag about - Sun Sentinel[/url]

This article says that there are 9 job seekers for every job opening.

[url]http://thejobgap.org/florida-low-wage-nation-2015/[/url]

The poverty level for Florida is very high. 1 in 6 Floridians live in poverty.

[URL="http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20140918/ARTICLE/140919676"]Poverty rates remain stubbornly high[/URL]

By the way, per capita income is not based on wages. The main reason Florida's per capita income is over $40,000 is because of its high percentage of retirees. For example, Naples has a very high per capita income but the average working person doesn't make $60k.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by NALEXAND

It is simply untrue. I have a very good white collar job. I make more money here than I did in the DC area.

Very happy to hear that. Congratulations.

I also had a couple of good-paying jobs. However, we can't use our own personal experiences to analyze a state with nearly 20 million people.

There has been a big increase in tech jobs, so that's good news. There's always room for experienced medical professionals too. In fact, there's a shortage of doctors. So it really depends on your field.