Moving from Chicago to Miami + Job Market Concerns (Palm Beach: sales, car insurance)

[Giddified]

Hello All,

I would really appreciate some advice on an issue. My boyfriend and I have been together for a long time and have plans to get engaged and married as soon as we're able. He and I were living in Chicago together when he got a promotion to a job in Louisville that he felt compelled to take. At the time, we thought this would be great because he could advance his career and save money for the engagement ring and then come back to Chicago after about a year.

Well, the economy tanked and his bonus dried up, so he hasn't been able to save for a ring. It's been about a year since he's been down there. (I'm still in Chicago.)

It seems fairly certain that his company wants to promote him again and relocate him to Miami. He would probably get about $23k in relocation expenses and $65k base salary. Getting a bonus down there is unlikely in the extreme. The hope is to use the relocation for both relocating and purchasing an engagement ring.

However, we know for sure that $65k down there would not be sufficient to cover both of our bills (we both have a lot of student loan debt), and I would need a job.

My question is - given the state of the economy in Southern Florida, how likely is it that I would find gainful unemployment? I am in sales, I have about 1.5 years of experience of B2B sales. Prior to this, I was at law school for a year before I quit because I didn't like it, and before law school I was a paralegal for 2 years. I could take smaller salary down there than I have up here, but we are very very concerned about how long it would take me to find a job. The distance is very hard and we are reluctant to put more distance between us if we are not reasonably certain that we could be together in a couple of months. Right now it's relatively easy for him to come up to visit on weekends.

Just how bad is the economy down there? I'm curious to hear any and all perspectives on this.

Thanks so much!

[muscleman305]

This might give you some insight. Just a couple of weeks ago we were in the national news multiple times for having a ridicuous amount of people like in the thousands arrive at a job fair and firefighter recruiting. Theres been a huge exodus here of skilled labor leaving for greener pastures up north, especially NC. Even if u land a good job here, expect to make peanuts compared to any other big city, seems the companies here have adopted the typical south american indian/chief mentality.

[godess07712]

Do not move here if you need a job. I moved here from nj in may of last year and i am ready to go back to nj as soon as i find a position in nj. I have been out of work for 2 months. It is very difficult. The other thing is that most of the jobs require fluency in spanish, and that does not work for my bf who is german/irish. During the summer it is hell. Traffic is hell. It is just a hell hole
great place to visit for a vacation during the winter though

[Giddified]

Hmmm...it's very worrying to hear these things. We're trying to balance my prospects at getting a job in Miami (doing a long-distance job search w/ no network or contacts down there) with his prospects of getting a job back in Chicago. Things don't look so great up here either.

Additionally, I read today that the unemployment in Miami-Dade county is 7.6% and it's 8.4% in Chicago. Does that add up?

[doggiebus]

The economy here is pretty bad. A big chunk of Miami's economy comes from tourism. With that said, you can see why I said we have a pretty bad economy. As construction was another biggy, and thats pretty slow here. As we all know, all jobs are some what tied together. With that said there are jobs out there, but so many people going for a single job. Not sure if you saw it in the national news or heard President Obama speak about it. The county has 35 fire fighter positions open and 1000 people showed up the first day to apply.

The best thing I can say, is have a job lined up here before you move here. Or start saving and have a certain amount of money to sustain you. 6-8 months at least if you move here without a job. 65k your fiance can pay a huge chunk of the bills, till you find a job. Might not be a nice place, but it would get you here. I have to say most people I know that move here, within 3 years leave. Miami isn't that place on tv.

In South Florida, Miami-Dade County's unemployment rate was 7.5 percent, up from 6.9 percent in January. In Broward County, it was 8.3 percent, up from 7.8 percent the previous month. Palm Beach County had the highest rate, at 9.7 percent, up from 9.2 percent.

[Giddified]

Yes, the plan is to have a job lined up before going down there. I'm trying to get a feel for how long it would take to get one. Basically, we're not comfortable with him making the move if it would take 8 months to a year for me to find a job. It would be a relationship killer because we're already burning out on the distance.

I wish I could save up some reserve money to make the move, but I don't think that's going to be possible. I kind of just get by as it is. (Chicago's really expensive.)

[doggiebus]

Let everyone here know what EXACT field you are looking in. And maybe someone in that field can give you idea of what its like out there.

BTW, if you think Chicago is expensive, wait till you move here. The cost of living here is pretty high, at one point it was second in the country. Because pay is so low, and everything else is so high. For example, I would bet if you move here, your car insurance rate will double if not tripple.

[Giddified]

Currently I sell e-discovery and web-hosting solutions to law firms. I have a lot of experience calling on and consulting with attorneys, litigation support professionals and corporate general counsel. Here's the thing - my boyfriend is in the same industry (he works at a competitor), and the position he is up for is operations manager for the shop in Miami. I wouldn't be able to get a job at the same office as him. (Even if I could, I definitely wouldn't want to...I have no desire to work together and live together! hahaha)

So, the positions I would be applying for would be B2B sales where there is a base salary and opportunity for growth. I'm not enthusiastic about finding a job with a draw. I'd have to evaluate other commission structures to determine how good they would be. I'd prefer a sales job that involves a consultative approach, as that is my particular strength.

[Giddified]

Yeah, it does seem like jobs down there don't pay enough for the cost of living. I've heard that Florida "pays people in sunshine." hahahaha

[Jeffrey262]

Originally Posted by Giddified

Hello All,

I would really appreciate some advice on an issue. My boyfriend and I have been together for a long time and have plans to get engaged and married as soon as we're able. He and I were living in Chicago together when he got a promotion to a job in Louisville that he felt compelled to take. At the time, we thought this would be great because he could advance his career and save money for the engagement ring and then come back to Chicago after about a year.

Well, the economy tanked and his bonus dried up, so he hasn't been able to save for a ring. It's been about a year since he's been down there. (I'm still in Chicago.)

It seems fairly certain that his company wants to promote him again and relocate him to Miami. He would probably get about $23k in relocation expenses and $65k base salary. Getting a bonus down there is unlikely in the extreme. The hope is to use the relocation for both relocating and purchasing an engagement ring.

However, we know for sure that $65k down there would not be sufficient to cover both of our bills (we both have a lot of student loan debt), and I would need a job.

My question is - given the state of the economy in Southern Florida, how likely is it that I would find gainful unemployment? I am in sales, I have about 1.5 years of experience of B2B sales. Prior to this, I was at law school for a year before I quit because I didn't like it, and before law school I was a paralegal for 2 years. I could take smaller salary down there than I have up here, but we are very very concerned about how long it would take me to find a job. The distance is very hard and we are reluctant to put more distance between us if we are not reasonably certain that we could be together in a couple of months. Right now it's relatively easy for him to come up to visit on weekends.

Just how bad is the economy down there? I'm curious to hear any and all perspectives on this.

Thanks so much!

I have some friends that moved to South Florida 9 months. They decided to relocate before they landed a job. That was the biggest mistake they made. As of writing this reply, they are still unemployed. Both of them have been in the work force for 15 years at the executive level. As one of the other respondance mentioned, speaking a multi-language will give you the competitive advantage to landing a job.

I think you need to consider a few factors before you relocate:
1) Florida survive's on tourism -- as previously mentioned.
2) Do you work in an industry that thrives in Florida?
3) Do some research on the largest employeers on Florida?
4) Look at the unemployment rate. How does it compare to where you live?
5) Compare cost of living expenses. There is a calculator on the web that will compare two or multiple states
6) Florida has one the highest home insurance rates on the Nation.
7) And finally, spending relocation money on a ring is not a good business decision. If he can't afford it, then wait and save for it. Earning 65K/yr is not going to go very far. Assume your tax rate is 20%, net earning ($52,000) before additional deductions could possibly net you $50,000 or $962/week. Now subtract your living expenses (rent/mortgage, electric, water, car note, gas, entertainment, etc.....).

Don't get all excited in the thought about moving. Carefully plan the transition. You will thank yourself later on.

I lived in South Florida for 20 years. It gets very hot and humid in the Summer. Consider the heat to last 10 months and nice weather for 2 months. Depending on where you decide to relocate (a new area or mature area), the homes look weathered -- meaning old. The sun really bakes down on the homes. Your electric bill will be very expensive. The air condition runs all the time. If you have a lawn to cut, you will dread cutting it. If you want to wash your car, make sure you do it by 7am, otherwise you will sweat to death. If you are a runner, you will need to get up before the sun rises. The sun will bake you........

Don't make any rash decisions. Plan, think through all your options.

Good luck.
--jeff