Job Market in the Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia: 2013, insurance, home)

[HubCityMadMan]

Mod cut- Please note that this thread was started in 2013.


I've lived in New Jersey my whole life and am starting to lose patience for the job market to get better here, since it is not improving the way other states are. I also know the Philadelphia job market is stagnant, as I have friends from Philly who had to relocate to NJ to find (dead end) jobs just to remain employed throughout this seemingly interminable crunch.

For whatever reason, so many people from New Jersey are relocating to the Lehigh Valley area lately, but I am able to find very little about its job market. I know this area is a hot zone for higher education, as there are more colleges than I can count on two hands. I am certified in NJ as a teacher, but have not been able to find work in that field in three years, and really have no interest in going back into this profession, unless possibly I can teach or work at one of these colleges. Beyond that, how is the job market in the area? Is it beginning to turn up or is it in the same boat as Philly? Any comments or advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[loose cannon]

This is the worst job market in the Country. Go SOuth and go west if you have money saved up.

[Slackingandyou]

I would not say it's the worst. You can easily get a temp job in a warehouse or manufacturing with low pay maybe 10 per hour and no benefits. Jobs for professionals don't pay very well either. Commute 30 minutes south and you earn far more.

[s1alker]

Keep in mind the Jersey citizens who are moving here are those willing to be bedroom commuters. I know someone who commutes 2-3 hours into NYC everyday to earn six figures.

[toobusytoday]

Honestly, I don't know who you all hang out with but the local college grads that I know are employed. They're working for Lutron, Olympus, Just Born, Lehigh Valley Hospital, the schools, small local companies or the colleges. I know a few people that commute into NJ but it's to Merck or EWR, not NYC. People my age that are from NJ moved here because they got jobs here.

To the OP - If the jobless rate is around 5%, doesn't that mean that 95% of the people that are looking for work have jobs? I don't think the job market is stagnant here or in Philly. I agree that it's better to go wherever the jobs are, so if there aren't jobs here in your field, move to where is one, if that's possible.

[loose cannon]

Jobs now are starting to pay $11ish. Wages are slightly improving but the cost of living is rising as well.

[s1alker]

Originally Posted by loose cannon

Jobs now are starting to pay $11ish. Wages are slightly improving but the cost of living is rising as well.

Yup. All the people moving from NJ and NYC expecting the kind of services and amenities they back home which drives up the costs they were running away from!

[blazerj]

Originally Posted by s1alker

Keep in mind the Jersey citizens who are moving here are those willing to be bedroom commuters. I know someone who commutes 2-3 hours into NYC everyday to earn six figures.

There are really not that many commuters to NYC every day. I'm sure Paco will give actual stats, but it's less than you think. A lot of people, like myself drive about an hour into NJ or work from home.

[Khal Z]

Worst job market is lower NY.

Hugely overpopulated area, very high COL, where everyone has a degree in something and are chasing the same low pay jobs....because people need 'a job'.

The idea that you make more in NY or the NE compared to the south just isn't true any more because its a employers market. I've seen jobs in pretty rural Virginia that are very comparable to NY. And I'm not talking about just minimum wage jobs but jobs working at agencies who employ people in healthcare or corporations.

A deli here in rural VA is basically starting people at the same salary as a agency who employs people for Vassar in Poughkeepsie.

[kbott925]

Teaching jobs pay well around here. They are incredibly hard to get unless you know someone. That's how my two cousins got great teaching jobs. I'm talking elementary and high school though.

I work a decent paying job for what it is in a hospital (I work with insurance). If you want to get paid $11-$17 an hr you can find a job in a week or two here. I can't complain, because I get good priced insurance and benefits. You won't be able to afford a house, but you'll have a job and they probably wouldn't fire you even if you punched someone (I know because jobs I've had are always short handed and they never fire people who need to be). However, my husband just got a masters degree and he has a hard time finding things in this area. He's applied to colleges in this area and only heard from one. He heard back from a college in Bucks county for a director job, and was surprised to find out the offer was good but not great. It certainly isn't bad, but that's the same offers he gets for places in the Lehigh Valley and Bucks is even more expensive to live in. He has also looked into teaching at them, but just be prepared to know that most of the college teaching jobs are for adjunct positions.