With the labor shortage, Can unskilled workers now make it in Portland? (Rainier: apartments, rentals)

[harrishawke]

I remember a number of years back, people would always say, "Don't move to PDX without a job!". I wonder if that has completely changed with today's tight labor market. An example would be a a college graduate who is educated in a non-demanding major, but doesn't yet posses any trade or hard skills.

[StealthRabbit]

How, where, when will you develop your trade or skill?

Portland would be very competitive market to gain a skill development job where an employer has to spend time and money to create a skilled / competent employee. That is a very risky and costly expectation for an employer.

Gain your skills in an area with low costs and many opportunities., then relocate. Work nights and weekends... 2-3 jobs at a time to 'catch-up'. Young (pre age 30) is when you want to maximize your development and savings plan.

After age 30, stuff starts complicating your life and responsibility.

Come to Portland with a niche skillset, and plenty of dough to bridge 6+ months of unemployment.

Entry jobs are for HS / pre-college and an employer is reluctant to hire someone overqualified and likely to leave for a better / different gig.

[harrishawke]

This question wasn't for me personally, but for anyone wanting to relocate there at this current time.

[Pahn]

Anecdotally, I've heard that, despite all the employers claiming that they can't find workers, they're hesitant to actually hire. My guess is they're just making fewer people do more work, and keeping the savings to offset decreased business.

[ccjarider]

Baloney - plenty of work in Portland for people who can walk straight and read at 3rd grade level.
At the facility where my company makes our products, we have increased sign on bonuses from a few hundred to a few thousand; did away with most drug testing and will pretty much bend over backwards to entice folks to work here.

btw- business revenue surpasses precovid #'s for many if not most companies.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

There is plenty of work available. The potential problem is that a person with no job skills might have an easy time finding a job, but that job won't be enough to pay for the very expensive housing without getting roommates. Rent is high and rentals are scarce. Landlords have lots of applicants and tend to accept the best qualified applicant. Someone with no job skills, brand new to the area with a job that pays $15 an hour that they have held for less than a week, is not usually a strong applicant.


The government has not been kind to landlords for the past 2 years and landlord have reacted by being extremely picky about who they rent to. Plus a lot of rentals got sold and the landlords got out of the business, which reduces available units.

[jertheber]

Every west coast metro area is suffering from their high cost of living situation, especially as it relates to finding low paid/low skilled labor. The Portland high rollers are desperately needing personal services and outdoor maintenance help, for now the Mexican/South American immigrants fill those needs but they are forced to move further down the valley or out west to the areas of Rainier and other small towns that have housing for the low paid workers. In the manufacturing sector the high COL works against finding suitable help when the commute grows ever longer for less than stellar wages.

Old dilapidated mobile home parks, run down apartments, and the truly dicey parts of a city are the only hope for those working at rates that fall below the levels of sustainability for close in urban living. A relevant observation regarding the OP's example--A recent college grad educated in a "non demanding major" would have missed the boat back when they made their choices in college.

The only saving grace for those who squandered their college years on a course that would eventually lead to a dead end is the fact that the degree may still be viable for some job that is not relevant to that particular degree, but requires a degree of some sort.. At any rate, most cities are relying on mass transit schemes to bring the low paid laborers to the metro environs.

[JackieLovesSun]

Originally Posted by Pahn

Anecdotally, I've heard that, despite all the employers claiming that they can't find workers, they're hesitant to actually hire. My guess is they're just making fewer people do more work, and keeping the savings to offset decreased business.

this may be true, but I also think plenty of companies are willing to hire but do not offer enough in wages. they may be offering more than they used to, but it's still not enough due to high cost of living especially housing.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by JackieLovesSun

this may be true, but I also think plenty of companies are willing to hire but do not offer enough in wages. they may be offering more than they used to, but it's still not enough due to high cost of living especially housing.

This repeated "high cost of housing" commentary is over the top. There are soo many housing options. Frankly, USA has some of the cheapest housing in the developed world.

Monthly income is USA ranks in top 10 in the world. Cost of living (Including housing) ranks in mid 20's of top 110 counties on planet.

Statistically that means USA is a bargain. While Portland may be on little on the high end of USA spectrum, it is not at all like other cities such as London, Shanghai or Hong Kong. Each of these places is much more expensive yet have large populations of lower wage income earners. How do they do it??

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

it is not at all like other cities such as London, Shanghai or Hong Kong. Each of these places is much more expensive yet have large populations of lower wage income earners. How do they do it??

Not very well, at least in London, it seems.



https://www.totallymoney.com/london-...e-rent-crisis/