[civic94]

I visited last month, and on the news i saw it was like 14% unemployment. is it really that bad?

say for example a person who just wants to survive, and finds whatever job, such as a bagger/fast food place, etc... can they even find that if they ask around?

[Cyborgt800]

There are plenty of jobs here IF:
Your past is clean
You look presentable
You can speak well
you are willing to actually work.

[frischee112]

Indeed, most of the unemployment is caused by non-working illegal immigrants. We need to send them all back south. Get a job or get out!

[civic94]

Originally Posted by frischee112

Indeed, most of the unemployment is caused by non-working illegal immigrants. We need to send them all back south. Get a job or get out!

if theyre illegal, how does it factor into the 14% unemployment rate? I thought those figures are for people with green cards and citizens..

[ScoopLV]

The unemployment rate, officially, is 12-13%. That number is off due to people who have given up trying to find a job. The real rate is probably closer to 16%.

Of those, most of them are skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen in the construction field, which has essentially dried up.

Cooks, blackjack dealers, slot techs, retail workers and similar are easily able to find a job -- if they have the skills and a clean background. Las Vegas employers perform stringent background checks on prospective employees. For this reason, undocumented immigrants aren't NEARLY as big a drain on employment as elsewhere. They gravitate to domestic help, landscaping, hanging out in the Home Depot parking lot, etc.

(However, the undocumented relatives and similar are a massive drain on our healthcare system. If they have so much as a sniffle, it's off to UMC to get emergency-room treatment for what should be a health clinic problem. But that's a political problem more than anything.)

Executive summery -- if someone with a clean background has the skills that Las Vegas employers want, finding a job is no big deal. The more specialized a person is, the less likely it is to find a job in one's field. Tech fields, construction and skilled labor (like, say, a diesel mechanic) are the toughest to get -- too many applicants for too few positions.

The person who says, "I do construction framing. That's all I do. And that's all I'm interested in doing," that's the person who isn't finding work. The person who says, "Well, there aren't any construction jobs. I think I'll go to CSN and learn how to cook/deal roulette/become an EMT" -- they'll do fine.

The chronically unemployed in Las Vegas should try their hand at slot tech. It pays well, and there are LOADS of jobs available in that field.

[m73m95]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

The unemployment rate, officially, is 12-13%. That number is off due to people who have given up trying to find a job. The real rate is probably closer to 16%.

Of those, most of them are skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen in the construction field, which has essentially dried up.

Cooks, blackjack dealers, slot techs, retail workers and similar are easily able to find a job -- if they have the skills and a clean background. Las Vegas employers perform stringent background checks on prospective employees. For this reason, undocumented immigrants aren't NEARLY as big a drain on employment as elsewhere. They gravitate to domestic help, landscaping, hanging out in the Home Depot parking lot, etc.

(However, the undocumented relatives and similar are a massive drain on our healthcare system. If they have so much as a sniffle, it's off to UMC to get emergency-room treatment for what should be a health clinic problem. But that's a political problem more than anything.)

Executive summery -- if someone with a clean background has the skills that Las Vegas employers want, finding a job is no big deal. The more specialized a person is, the less likely it is to find a job in one's field. Tech fields, construction and skilled labor (like, say, a diesel mechanic) are the toughest to get -- too many applicants for too few positions.

The person who says, "I do construction framing. That's all I do. And that's all I'm interested in doing," that's the person who isn't finding work. The person who says, "Well, there aren't any construction jobs. I think I'll go to CSN and learn how to cook/deal roulette/become an EMT" -- they'll do fine.

The chronically unemployed in Las Vegas should try their hand at slot tech. It pays well, and there are LOADS of jobs available in that field.

I'm interested in learning to be a Slot Tech as well. Google isn't much help for finding the schools around Vegas that teach that sort of thing.

Anyone have any info?




I'm one of the many unemployed construction workers. I'm a crane operator by trade, but I have many skills, and could work in other fields. Another problem is, because there are so many people out of work, the wages are excruciatingly low. Unemployment pays more than a lot of these jobs. Its not hard to see why a lot of people just stay on unemployment. I am 100% sober, have zero criminal record (Not even a speeding ticket), and I still get picked over for jobs I apply for.

The last job I had in Vegas was at Echelon...nearly 4 years ago. For the past 3 years, I traveled around to other states for work. I did pretty well with that, but its also part of the reason my marriage ended. Now I can't travel because I am a single parent.

Maybe a bitter little rant mixed in there.....but not every one of us just sits at home, watching tv, collecting an unemployment check. Low wages, thousands of people applying for the same jobs, craigslist scams (Job postings for which there really is no job), the price of gas to tour the city handing out applications, when not even having the money to eat.... The attitude of "Those people are just lazy and don't want to work" is an absurd attitude to have, when you really have no idea what is going on, or what its like to have your entire industry pushed aside.

[civic94]

Originally Posted by m73m95

I'm interested in learning to be a Slot Tech as well. Google isn't much help for finding the schools around Vegas that teach that sort of thing.

Anyone have any info?




I'm one of the many unemployed construction workers. I'm a crane operator by trade, but I have many skills, and could work in other fields. Another problem is, because there are so many people out of work, the wages are excruciatingly low. Unemployment pays more than a lot of these jobs. Its not hard to see why a lot of people just stay on unemployment. I am 100% sober, have zero criminal record (Not even a speeding ticket), and I still get picked over for jobs I apply for.

The last job I had in Vegas was at Echelon...nearly 4 years ago. For the past 3 years, I traveled around to other states for work. I did pretty well with that, but its also part of the reason my marriage ended. Now I can't travel because I am a single parent.

Maybe a bitter little rant mixed in there.....but not every one of us just sits at home, watching tv, collecting an unemployment check. Low wages, thousands of people applying for the same jobs, craigslist scams (Job postings for which there really is no job), the price of gas to tour the city handing out applications, when not even having the money to eat.... The attitude of "Those people are just lazy and don't want to work" is an absurd attitude to have, when you really have no idea what is going on, or what its like to have your entire industry pushed aside.

Yes i understand.. I was on unemployment for 1.5 yrs, cant find anything so went back to school to finish up my BA that I stopped after getting my AA. now, 8 months after graduation, i still cant find anything. I even went to car shops, resturaunts, grocery stores to ask for any opening (i'm in seattle) with no luck. and seattle's economy is supposed to be way better than vegas.

[airics]

Originally Posted by Cyborgt800

There are plenty of jobs here IF:
Your past is clean
You look presentable
You can speak well
you are willing to actually work.

agreed.....

[Robinson81]

Originally Posted by civic94

Yes i understand.. I was on unemployment for 1.5 yrs, cant find anything so went back to school to finish up my BA that I stopped after getting my AA. now, 8 months after graduation, i still cant find anything. I even went to car shops, resturaunts, grocery stores to ask for any opening (i'm in seattle) with no luck. and seattle's economy is supposed to be way better than vegas.

I'm in Seattle too and find jobs here easy. What is your background - maybe I can help?

[von949]

Interesting article about slot techs. Couple years old but still relevant for today.

reviewjournal.com -- Employment: Slot Tech

I have two family members that are ST and they never complain about the actual work, just the hours and the travel they have to put in. One has even traveled out the country for his job.