Is South FL's economy really that bad? (Miami, Kendall: real estate, brokers)

[Wild Style]

I have been looking for jobs recently. Since January I have done interviews in Chicago/Houston (same job) Washington D.C. and Brooklyn NY. I have done ONE interview in Miami this year. I have two degrees and will have a MBA soon. I have over 19 yrs of experience in what I do. My point is, I am not uneducated, I have tons of experience but there are FEW jobs in my field here. In my opinion Miami is good for people in Financial Industry, and service industry. Outside of that, you are going to be hard pressed to find something decent.

My job duties now pay six figures up north and contrary to the belief of those who have never lived up north, my money would go further up there. I have a friend in Kew Gardens in Queens who pays 1400 for a two bedroom. Well I pay 1650 for a two bedroom in Miami. I also have a car, which means car note, gas, insurance, maintenance etc. I lose all that if I move up norther. Granted I could pay less for rent, but that would put me in a undesirable area.

I'm not knocking South Florida, take that back, I hate Broward. So I'm not knocking Miami, I like it a lot. But man, living here is a trial and tribulation in and of itself, in many ways.

I can't blame anyone for wanting to leave here, especially for economic reasons. The people who run this city don't seem to be able to attract the types of business that will sustain a white collar workforce.

[bale002]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

I have been looking for jobs recently. Since January I have done interviews in Chicago/Houston (same job) Washington D.C. and Brooklyn NY. I have done ONE interview in Miami this year. I have two degrees and will have a MBA soon. I have over 19 yrs of experience in what I do. My point is, I am not uneducated, I have tons of experience but there are FEW jobs in my field here. In my opinion Miami is good for people in Financial Industry, and service industry. Outside of that, you are going to be hard pressed to find something decent.

My job duties now pay six figures up north and contrary to the belief of those who have never lived up north, my money would go further up there. I have a friend in Kew Gardens in Queens who pays 1400 for a two bedroom. Well I pay 1650 for a two bedroom in Miami. I also have a car, which means car note, gas, insurance, maintenance etc. I lose all that if I move up norther. Granted I could pay less for rent, but that would put me in a undesirable area.

I'm not knocking South Florida, take that back, I hate Broward. So I'm not knocking Miami, I like it a lot. But man, living here is a trial and tribulation in and of itself, in many ways.

I can't blame anyone for wanting to leave here, especially for economic reasons. The people who run this city don't seem to be able to attract the types of business that will sustain a white collar workforce.

No doubt the Miami economy is not as wide or deep as in other major cities in the US, and it takes a special combination of skills set, wealth, and contacts to "make it" here.

To some of you young people out there, take a look at the Beacon Council website and find out what some of the key sectors/industries are in Miami, and, if your goal is to stay here, then try to focus your knowledge and education in those sectors/industries. No guarantee, though, because you will still need contacts, but by no means impossible: there are successful college (graduate school) graduates who stay here and prosper.

We have been through this so many times in even very recent threads that regular participants in this forum should know by now what Miami is and its relatively narrow role in the national and global economy, or at least this region of the globe.

If you have a low level of education and skills, and depend on wage labor/services, you will probably have a hard time anywhere nowadays.

If you have a high level of education and skills and still cannot find gainful opportunities it is probably because your skill set does not fit into Miami's relatively narrow range of opportunities, as Wild Style describes: the city simply does not attract the types of businesses that will sustain a wide-ranging and deep white collar workforce like, say, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, and for various reasons that have been detailed in this forum time and again. So why keep complaining about it?

Good Luck!

[thatboybigbFL]

Well I do not have a high level of skills or education, I'm 29 and I never finished college and I've just been working jobs just over minimum wage all through my 20's. The only thing I got going for me is that I'm a really cool nice guy and that I'm very handsome and look like I'm 23 even tho I'm 29. I'm an American boy from Chicago. I feel like an outsider sometimes here though because everyone is an immigrant from Haiti or Latin American, and I just hate the vibe I get from people here sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I get a good vibe from a lot of people too, but I'm almost positive there's a better, more positive vibe, even if I were to move to Tampa or Tallahassee. I like cities, so I'm really thinking about taking a risk and moving to Atlanta and searching for work. Will it be any better than here? Who knows? But I like the fact Atlanta has so much more going on with its economy. You can tell just by all the skyscrapers downtown, all the huge homes in the suburbs there, and the people are much more down to earth and friendly. It'd be a risk though, since all I do is low end jobs and I have a part time job here with another one on the way, about to be hired.

[MiamiRob]

^ Skyscrapers have nothing to do with the economy because if that were true Miami has more skyscrapers than Atlanta does. The economy may be better for white collar professionals since so many Fortune 500 companies are based there but that would be off no benefit to you jobwise since you yourself said you work for minimum wage. The cost of living may be slightly lower but Georgia also has a state personal income tax as well.
You need to upgrade your skills & education if you want to get out of the minimum wage rut because I don't think it's the south Florida economy but your personal situation. .

[thatboybigbFL]

Doesn't the number of white collar jobs effect the lower blue collar and service jobs tho? I mean, who are the people that are putting money into the stores, restaurants, hotels, etc.? In Miami, the average income is most likely less due to the lack of high paying jobs and it probably effects the stores, restaurants, hotels, etc as well as people's state of mind.

[r_k]

Originally Posted by thatboybigbFL

...I mean, who are the people that are putting money into the stores, restaurants, hotels, etc.? In Miami, the average income is most likely less due to the lack of high paying jobs and it probably effects the stores, restaurants, hotels, etc as well as people's state of mind.

A large number (not all) are people from out of town, i.e. tourists, snowbirds, foreign investors, etc. It's the same in Vegas.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by thatboybigbFL

Well I do not have a high level of skills or education, I'm 29 and I never finished college and I've just been working jobs just over minimum wage all through my 20's. The only thing I got going for me is that I'm a really cool nice guy and that I'm very handsome and look like I'm 23 even tho I'm 29. I'm an American boy from Chicago. I feel like an outsider sometimes here though because everyone is an immigrant from Haiti or Latin American, and I just hate the vibe I get from people here sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I get a good vibe from a lot of people too, but I'm almost positive there's a better, more positive vibe, even if I were to move to Tampa or Tallahassee. I like cities, so I'm really thinking about taking a risk and moving to Atlanta and searching for work. Will it be any better than here? Who knows? But I like the fact Atlanta has so much more going on with its economy. You can tell just by all the skyscrapers downtown, all the huge homes in the suburbs there, and the people are much more down to earth and friendly. It'd be a risk though, since all I do is low end jobs and I have a part time job here with another one on the way, about to be hired.

Not for nothing, but you really should think about going back to school. You are never told old to get a education. I personally know someone who received their masters in their 50s, so there is no excuse.

[perry335654]

I remember something Tallrick said was and I agree, that a 4-year education is similar to a high school diploma equivalence today . There are so many people earning their degrees THROUGH LOANS, PELL GRANTS ETC., plus the quality of schooling has waned over the years.

[unquiltom]

I work in middle management for FPL. (28 years in the industry) I worked a similar position in San Diego, but for this job, I had to obtain a higher certification, and train for 5 months to learn the new position. So, after all that, my job here pays $36,000 less per year in base salary and about $65,000 less if you include bonuses and overtime. Some overtime will come now that I'm finished with training, but here they pay you at straight time, where in SD, I made time and 1/2 for OT. I know there's some equalizers in the lack of state income taxes and a slightly lower cost of living, but it's not enough to make up that big of a difference. And since I know someone will ask, I was laid off in SD, it wasn't by choice. I was planning on retiring in So Fla anyway, so I made the move a few years early.

[thatboybigbFL]

Originally Posted by unquiltom

I work in middle management for FPL. (28 years in the industry) I worked a similar position in San Diego, but for this job, I had to obtain a higher certification, and train for 5 months to learn the new position. So, after all that, my job here pays $36,000 less per year in base salary and about $65,000 less if you include bonuses and overtime. Some overtime will come now that I'm finished with training, but here they pay you at straight time, where in SD, I made time and 1/2 for OT. I know there's some equalizers in the lack of state income taxes and a slightly lower cost of living, but it's not enough to make up that big of a difference. And since I know someone will ask, I was laid off in SD, it wasn't by choice. I was planning on retiring in So Fla anyway, so I made the move a few years early.

$65,000 less per year is a lot of money. I've heard Florida wages can be like that in many dif positions in the workforce. Why are they so stingy down here? Guess wondering why isn't going to solve anything. It's prob best to go to another state or find some kind of way to still make a lot here.