Americans Who Need Jobs Aren’t Going Where the Jobs Are

[EmM HoLLa.]

Well part of that reason is do they have the relocation money to go across the country to jobs? I'm between Philly and NYC which is under an hour and 2 and a half hours apart respectively. The places I apply for the employer has to be fully committed to me to pay the relocation price.

If you're able to land a remote job, so be it that'll make it easier but other than that it's hard (I'm speaking from an IT field perspective). Like gh0st said, if you don't have a family or obligations, it's easier.

That's kind of valid.. But ultimately.. You gotta make it happen.. Some sacrifices need to be made.. You'll be better off in the long run. I moved from DC to NYC.. I didn't get any relocation. In fact I used my Mom's address in NY when I applied. To make it look like I was local. That was part of the reason I even got an interview.. Cost me an arm and a leg to make the move.. I dedicated the expense on my taxes and kept it moving. Got myself a 40% increase in pay. Made my moving money back and then some.. I say all that to say this.. Can't get deterred because of short term pain.. You move to those areas u will make the money and as long as a check is coming in you can make moves..

 

[Fosheezy]

So any of y'all down to contract with a company like KBR and take that trip to Middle East and work in Baghdad or some shit? If it's where the money is

I almost went to Afghanistan. The company I was working for at the time is a major defense contractor. Our DoD contract approached me and subsequently interviewed me for a job that would have me transfer from AZ to Cali where I would work out of Ft Irwin up near Barstow. I would then be deployed to US bases around Afghanistan for 6 months at a time. While deployed I was going to get 2.5 times my current salary, hazard/danger pay, a post differential, and a lot of that would be tax free. I talked it over with my wife and we decided it would be stupid to miss out on that money, so I accepted the job and got the paperwork for the inter-office transfer started. That was a Friday, by Monday DARPA had to pull funding on the project and reallocated it elsewhere so I ended up not going.

Every time I was deployed my salary would have been close to $400K/year. It would have been stupid to pass that shit up.

Damn! 400k annual that would have been a SUPER lick

I was thinking it would be worth the risk for someone like me single with no kids, but was reluctant to go due to not being able to talk with many people that actually went out there. I'm not really scared of bullets and I done been around shoot outs in my city I figure it can't be all that much different lol

So even today for someone single and no family you think it's a good opportunity to hop on for something entry level ?

 

[VulcanRaven]

One thing about "going where the jobs are" is it aint that easy. I have kind of taken that approach before but its something about it being right or not for you. If its not your path, then its not. Even though they "need workers" there. So there's more that can go into it

People used to do it all the time. My mother's side of the family is from Texas. Her mother moved to Michigan for work. Her first husband came from, IIRC Louisiana and moved to Michigan to work in the plants. My great grandfather (that I'm ultimately named after), came from the south to Michigan to work in the plants. A lot of families moved to where work was at back inna day. If there were no jobs in your area you did what was best and moved to where the work was. That's what we did in moving to Phoenix. The IT market in SE Michigan went to shit and IT jobs were plentiful in AZ and they paid well so we packed it all up and hit the road.

It may be the thing to do but it should not have to be in this day and age. Back when our grandparents and parents were young things were not as industrialized or as developed. In 2017 you should be able to get any kind of job anywhere. What is the point of living in this country if you can only find work in specific places?

 

[VulcanRaven]

Well part of that reason is do they have the relocation money to go across the country to jobs? I'm between Philly and NYC which is under an hour and 2 and a half hours apart respectively. The places I apply for the employer has to be fully committed to me to pay the relocation price.

If you're able to land a remote job, so be it that'll make it easier but other than that it's hard (I'm speaking from an IT field perspective). Like gh0st said, if you don't have a family or obligations, it's easier.

That's kind of valid.. But ultimately.. You gotta make it happen.. Some sacrifices need to be made.. You'll be better off in the long run. I moved from DC to NYC.. I didn't get any relocation. In fact I used my Mom's address in NY when I applied. To make it look like I was local. That was part of the reason I even got an interview.. Cost me an arm and a leg to make the move.. I dedicated the expense on my taxes and kept it moving. Got myself a 40% increase in pay. Made my moving money back and then some.. I say all that to say this.. Can't get deterred because of short term pain.. You move to those areas u will make the money and as long as a check is coming in you can make moves..

It's not that simple though. I personally don't like New York and would not want to live in that crowded City regardless of pay. Being comfortable is the most important thing and no matter what you are getting paid it is is not worth it if you can not enjoy your surrounding. I would move to Cali as it's more my vibe and scenery, but if the offer is not there then I would not take an offer for NY just as my personal preference. I damn sure would not got to Afghanistan. I am a person whose surroundings effect my mood. It would be hard to function if I don't like where I am located.

 

[EmM HoLLa.]

Well part of that reason is do they have the relocation money to go across the country to jobs? I'm between Philly and NYC which is under an hour and 2 and a half hours apart respectively. The places I apply for the employer has to be fully committed to me to pay the relocation price.

If you're able to land a remote job, so be it that'll make it easier but other than that it's hard (I'm speaking from an IT field perspective). Like gh0st said, if you don't have a family or obligations, it's easier.

That's kind of valid.. But ultimately.. You gotta make it happen.. Some sacrifices need to be made.. You'll be better off in the long run. I moved from DC to NYC.. I didn't get any relocation. In fact I used my Mom's address in NY when I applied. To make it look like I was local. That was part of the reason I even got an interview.. Cost me an arm and a leg to make the move.. I dedicated the expense on my taxes and kept it moving. Got myself a 40% increase in pay. Made my moving money back and then some.. I say all that to say this.. Can't get deterred because of short term pain.. You move to those areas u will make the money and as long as a check is coming in you can make moves..

It's not that simple though. I personally don't like New York and would not want to live in that crowded City regardless of pay. Being comfortable is the most important thing and no matter what you are getting paid it is is not worth it if you can not enjoy your surrounding. I would move to Cali as it's more my vibe and scenery, but if the offer is not there then I would not take an offer for NY just as my personal preference. I damn sure would not got to Afghanistan. I am a person whose surroundings effect my mood. It would be hard to function if I don't like where I am located.

Everyone is enttitled to their preferences.. To my original point though.. If you are not willing to thug it out for the short term cuz yo want to be 'comfortable' then one simply shouldn't complain about being broke or their circumstances.

Secondly. You can't put NYC and Afghanistan in the same sentence.. Especially in the context. I was born and raised in NYC.. Since I moved back i do not live in NYC i live in jersey right outside of NYC. You can work in NY and live in NJ or connecticut.. And commute in. There are many ways to do things. You just have to make it work. One thing I know from experience is that you are going to get paid more in NYC than you would in may other places. If you know how to spend the money you will be able save much quicker and make secondary moves to get you to exactly where you'd like be.. But I digress. Not everyone moves the same..

 

[2stepz_ahead]

To relocate takes a strong family.

You must be strong aswell as your spouse.

I have travel between continents for three years every 2-3 weeks at 2-7 days at a time.

The family should understand What sacrifices Truly are to respect it an do their part.

To get ahead...someone must make the first sacrifice an others must hold up the slack.

Its for everyone ....no one can be selfish

 

[traestar]

Well part of that reason is do they have the relocation money to go across the country to jobs? I'm between Philly and NYC which is under an hour and 2 and a half hours apart respectively. The places I apply for the employer has to be fully committed to me to pay the relocation price.

If you're able to land a remote job, so be it that'll make it easier but other than that it's hard (I'm speaking from an IT field perspective). Like gh0st said, if you don't have a family or obligations, it's easier.

That's kind of valid.. But ultimately.. You gotta make it happen.. Some sacrifices need to be made.. You'll be better off in the long run. I moved from DC to NYC.. I didn't get any relocation. In fact I used my Mom's address in NY when I applied. To make it look like I was local. That was part of the reason I even got an interview.. Cost me an arm and a leg to make the move.. I dedicated the expense on my taxes and kept it moving. Got myself a 40% increase in pay. Made my moving money back and then some.. I say all that to say this.. Can't get deterred because of short term pain.. You move to those areas u will make the money and as long as a check is coming in you can make moves..

It's not that simple though. I personally don't like New York and would not want to live in that crowded City regardless of pay. Being comfortable is the most important thing and no matter what you are getting paid it is is not worth it if you can not enjoy your surrounding. I would move to Cali as it's more my vibe and scenery, but if the offer is not there then I would not take an offer for NY just as my personal preference. I damn sure would not got to Afghanistan. I am a person whose surroundings effect my mood. It would be hard to function if I don't like where I am located.

It's mad expensive living in the city, I'm looking at that first before the atmosphere.

 

[traestar]

Well part of that reason is do they have the relocation money to go across the country to jobs? I'm between Philly and NYC which is under an hour and 2 and a half hours apart respectively. The places I apply for the employer has to be fully committed to me to pay the relocation price.

If you're able to land a remote job, so be it that'll make it easier but other than that it's hard (I'm speaking from an IT field perspective). Like gh0st said, if you don't have a family or obligations, it's easier.

That's kind of valid.. But ultimately.. You gotta make it happen.. Some sacrifices need to be made.. You'll be better off in the long run. I moved from DC to NYC.. I didn't get any relocation. In fact I used my Mom's address in NY when I applied. To make it look like I was local. That was part of the reason I even got an interview.. Cost me an arm and a leg to make the move.. I dedicated the expense on my taxes and kept it moving. Got myself a 40% increase in pay. Made my moving money back and then some.. I say all that to say this.. Can't get deterred because of short term pain.. You move to those areas u will make the money and as long as a check is coming in you can make moves..

It's not that simple though. I personally don't like New York and would not want to live in that crowded City regardless of pay. Being comfortable is the most important thing and no matter what you are getting paid it is is not worth it if you can not enjoy your surrounding. I would move to Cali as it's more my vibe and scenery, but if the offer is not there then I would not take an offer for NY just as my personal preference. I damn sure would not got to Afghanistan. I am a person whose surroundings effect my mood. It would be hard to function if I don't like where I am located.

Everyone is enttitled to their preferences.. To my original point though.. If you are not willing to thug it out for the short term cuz yo want to be 'comfortable' then one simply shouldn't complain about being broke or their circumstances.

Secondly. You can't put NYC and Afghanistan in the same sentence.. Especially in the context. I was born and raised in NYC.. Since I moved back i do not live in NYC i live in jersey right outside of NYC. You can work in NY and live in NJ or connecticut.. And commute in. There are many ways to do things. You just have to make it work. One thing I know from experience is that you are going to get paid more in NYC than you would in may other places. If you know how to spend the money you will be able save much quicker and make secondary moves to get you to exactly where you'd like be.. But I digress. Not everyone moves the same..

At my current situation, I was at a point where I wasn't even making enough to move across the states. I just landed a position at home and once I start bringing down some of the damage, I should be able to make the travel. It seems sometimes too that it's negative to commute. I commuted back and forth to Philly, no problems. For some reason, they look at that as a negative. Crazy.

 

[konceptjones]

One thing about "going where the jobs are" is it aint that easy. I have kind of taken that approach before but its something about it being right or not for you. If its not your path, then its not. Even though they "need workers" there. So there's more that can go into it

People used to do it all the time. My mother's side of the family is from Texas. Her mother moved to Michigan for work. Her first husband came from, IIRC Louisiana and moved to Michigan to work in the plants. My great grandfather (that I'm ultimately named after), came from the south to Michigan to work in the plants. A lot of families moved to where work was at back inna day. If there were no jobs in your area you did what was best and moved to where the work was. That's what we did in moving to Phoenix. The IT market in SE Michigan went to shit and IT jobs were plentiful in AZ and they paid well so we packed it all up and hit the road.

It may be the thing to do but it should not have to be in this day and age. Back when our grandparents and parents were young things were not as industrialized or as developed. In 2017 you should be able to get any kind of job anywhere. What is the point of living in this country if you can only find work in specific places?

It didn't work like that then and it doesn't work like that now.

The reason we moved from MI to AZ was because the IT market was so over-saturated that a single job opening could generate hundreds of resumes. In the early 00's EVERYBODY was getting into IT through those certification boot camps. It used to be that you could get a job on a helpdesk making $30k-$40k/yr without any certifications. After all these folks came out of the bootcamps you had people with an A+, Network+, and an MCSA with zero experience willing to work for next to nothing. Suddenly you needed certs just to get on a helpdesk and the pay dropped to $10-$13/hr. Those boot camps churned out far more people than there were jobs in the area leading to the conditions that led up to me making the decision to go elsewhere for work.

It's like that all over.

I have a buddy of mine that used to live in Las Vegas and is now in Manhattan. He went to school at UNLV for law, but when he graduated and passed the bar he found out that there were so many lawyers practicing in Vegas he couldn't get a job for shit. He now works at a Fortune 500 company in NYC making stupid money.

People move from all over the country to Phoenix for work. Very few of my neighbors grew up in Phoenix, the majority moved here because there were good paying jobs in whatever their field happened to be.

The one thing that technology should have done was make it possible to live in one state and work in another. It has actually made this possible but very few companies implement telecommuting for their employees. I work by remote for a number of companies, and have done so for several years now, but outside of IT the practice is tiny and even within IT it's not very common but it should be.

 

[J-GUTTA]

... It’s obviously demanding work that requires being away from home for 7 to 10 days at a stretch. ...
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/americans-need-jobs-arent-going-jobs-154134313.html

man that's an indentured servitude just a step or two away from a prison detail

That's exaggerated nonsense. A lot of industries function that way. Mining and oil are two of the best paying industries if you're willing to work away from home like that.

A lot of people don't wanna do labour, in my experience. People tend to look down on labourers. I make almost 40k a year and go to school full time with no loans yet I have had students with thousands in debt and no job experience talk down at me when I talk about my job.

WTF...man going back to the what's the lowest you've been thread. I applied at Walgreens, Home Depot and even as a Bar Back at a strip club. Ultimately worked part time at the gym for 5 years. Some people really think they shit don't stink. Shit even @EmM HoLLa knows I reach out PAUSE to him and was willing to go to D.C. Applied for a gig in Colorado and Westchester County too.

 

[Madame_CJSkywalker]

its not as simple as you all make it seem

if you are already struggling its hard to relocate

if you have children or you are a care taker for ur parents it's even harder just to jump up and follow the jobs

 

[Madame_CJSkywalker]

... It’s obviously demanding work that requires being away from home for 7 to 10 days at a stretch. ...
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/americans-need-jobs-arent-going-jobs-154134313.html

man that's an indentured servitude just a step or two away from a prison detail

That's exaggerated nonsense. A lot of industries function that way. Mining and oil are two of the best paying industries if you're willing to work away from home like that.

A lot of people don't wanna do labour, in my experience. People tend to look down on labourers. I make almost 40k a year and go to school full time with no loans yet I have had students with thousands in debt and no job experience talk down at me when I talk about my job.

from where I'm from ppl would kill for factory, contracting gigs

 

[konceptjones]

its not as simple as you all make it seem

if you are already struggling its hard to relocate

if you have children or you are a care taker for ur parents it's even harder just to jump up and follow the jobs

Nah, I've lived that life, you just gotta stop bullshittin' with your money and put it together to make a move. We ended up leaving a lot of our shit in our old house in Michigan because we couldn't afford a truck. We got the largest trailer UHaul had and had it attached to our raggedy ass 4 door GMC Jimmy. We put what we could in it and left the rest behind. We took our beds, clothes, kitchen shit, tv's, and our computers. The rest of our furniture and shit was left behind. I took a few things to a friend's crib to keep until we managed to get back to MI (which never happened, we don't know where she is or our shit). I gave my car to my sister and left a few of my things with her as well. I left an assload of books, computer equipment, and the like at the old house. We lost a lot but that's what we had to do in order to make a better way for the family. Also, when we moved we had three kids, the youngest of which was only days from her 1st birthday, and my wife was pregnant with our 4th.

We did what we had to do. Sometimes you have to make a sacrifice like that in order to improve your family's position.

 

[Madame_CJSkywalker]

its not as simple as you all make it seem

if you are already struggling its hard to relocate

if you have children or you are a care taker for ur parents it's even harder just to jump up and follow the jobs

Nah, I've lived that life, you just gotta stop bullshittin' with your money and put it together to make a move. We ended up leaving a lot of our shit in our old house in Michigan because we couldn't afford a truck. We got the largest trailer UHaul had and had it attached to our raggedy ass 4 door GMC Jimmy. We put what we could in it and left the rest behind. We took our beds, clothes, kitchen shit, tv's, and our computers. The rest of our furniture and shit was left behind. I took a few things to a friend's crib to keep until we managed to get back to MI (which never happened, we don't know where she is or our shit). I gave my car to my sister and left a few of my things with her as well. I left an assload of books, computer equipment, and the like at the old house. We lost a lot but that's what we had to do in order to make a better way for the family. Also, when we moved we had three kids, the youngest of which was only days from her 1st birthday, and my wife was pregnant with our 4th.

We did what we had to do. Sometimes you have to make a sacrifice like that in order to improve your family's position.

ok

the fact that you had to leave so much behind proves my point

 

[konceptjones]

its not as simple as you all make it seem

if you are already struggling its hard to relocate

if you have children or you are a care taker for ur parents it's even harder just to jump up and follow the jobs

Nah, I've lived that life, you just gotta stop bullshittin' with your money and put it together to make a move. We ended up leaving a lot of our shit in our old house in Michigan because we couldn't afford a truck. We got the largest trailer UHaul had and had it attached to our raggedy ass 4 door GMC Jimmy. We put what we could in it and left the rest behind. We took our beds, clothes, kitchen shit, tv's, and our computers. The rest of our furniture and shit was left behind. I took a few things to a friend's crib to keep until we managed to get back to MI (which never happened, we don't know where she is or our shit). I gave my car to my sister and left a few of my things with her as well. I left an assload of books, computer equipment, and the like at the old house. We lost a lot but that's what we had to do in order to make a better way for the family. Also, when we moved we had three kids, the youngest of which was only days from her 1st birthday, and my wife was pregnant with our 4th.

We did what we had to do. Sometimes you have to make a sacrifice like that in order to improve your family's position.

ok

the fact that you had to leave so much behind proves my point

hard doesn't mean impossible. It means you have to make tough decisions in order to take care of your family. If it means you gotta bounce on a shoestring budget, then so be it. It appears to me that some folks don't want to make the sacrifices necessary to ensure financial stability for their families. They would rather sit off and complain than to actually make a move.

 

[Madame_CJSkywalker]

its not as simple as you all make it seem

if you are already struggling its hard to relocate

if you have children or you are a care taker for ur parents it's even harder just to jump up and follow the jobs

Nah, I've lived that life, you just gotta stop bullshittin' with your money and put it together to make a move. We ended up leaving a lot of our shit in our old house in Michigan because we couldn't afford a truck. We got the largest trailer UHaul had and had it attached to our raggedy ass 4 door GMC Jimmy. We put what we could in it and left the rest behind. We took our beds, clothes, kitchen shit, tv's, and our computers. The rest of our furniture and shit was left behind. I took a few things to a friend's crib to keep until we managed to get back to MI (which never happened, we don't know where she is or our shit). I gave my car to my sister and left a few of my things with her as well. I left an assload of books, computer equipment, and the like at the old house. We lost a lot but that's what we had to do in order to make a better way for the family. Also, when we moved we had three kids, the youngest of which was only days from her 1st birthday, and my wife was pregnant with our 4th.

We did what we had to do. Sometimes you have to make a sacrifice like that in order to improve your family's position.

ok

the fact that you had to leave so much behind proves my point

hard doesn't mean impossible. It means you have to make tough decisions in order to take care of your family. If it means you gotta bounce on a shoestring budget, then so be it. It appears to me that some folks don't want to make the sacrifices necessary to ensure financial stability for their families. They would rather sit off and complain than to actually make a move.

never said it was impossible

 

[blackrain]

I went to where the jobs were. It makes sense when you're starting out.. Honestly it makes sense no matter the stage of your career. One of my CEO's at a company I worked for used to commute between DC and ATL for the job he had at our Company.

One thing I don't feel is a broke person telling me what they ain't gonna do and with the same mouth cry about being broke. Either you gonna a go get paid or stfu..

If this is true. It is because of laziness that we have an imbecile of a president in office and that make it hurt more.. Smh.. The man's own wife doesn't want to be bothered with him and she ain't never been shit herself.. Smh..

This is only partially true. The go to where the jobs are thing doesnt mention that it ain't cheap or free to just up and move to a new city or state. Thats not something you do just on a whim. That's something that takes planning and money that poor people often dont have

 

[konceptjones]

I went to where the jobs were. It makes sense when you're starting out.. Honestly it makes sense no matter the stage of your career. One of my CEO's at a company I worked for used to commute between DC and ATL for the job he had at our Company.

One thing I don't feel is a broke person telling me what they ain't gonna do and with the same mouth cry about being broke. Either you gonna a go get paid or stfu..

If this is true. It is because of laziness that we have an imbecile of a president in office and that make it hurt more.. Smh.. The man's own wife doesn't want to be bothered with him and she ain't never been shit herself.. Smh..

This is only partially true. The go to where the jobs are thing doesnt mention that it ain't cheap or free to just up and move to a new city or state. Thats not something you do just on a whim. That's something that takes planning and money that poor people often dont have

Fam, if poor people would put extra shit on the back burner they would be able to find the money.

There's poor folks spending extra money on bullshit that ain't helping them better their situation. Money spent on extensions/wigs/braids, nails, cellphones w/ unlimited plans, expensive clothes in layaway, eating out, furniture rentals, etc can all be pooled and saved to move you to a better life.

A lot of people that are poor have really shitty spending habits and non-existent budgeting skills contributing to their financial state.

 

[EmM HoLLa.]

I went to where the jobs were. It makes sense when you're starting out.. Honestly it makes sense no matter the stage of your career. One of my CEO's at a company I worked for used to commute between DC and ATL for the job he had at our Company.

One thing I don't feel is a broke person telling me what they ain't gonna do and with the same mouth cry about being broke. Either you gonna a go get paid or stfu..

If this is true. It is because of laziness that we have an imbecile of a president in office and that make it hurt more.. Smh.. The man's own wife doesn't want to be bothered with him and she ain't never been shit herself.. Smh..

This is only partially true. The go to where the jobs are thing doesnt mention that it ain't cheap or free to just up and move to a new city or state. Thats not something you do just on a whim. That's something that takes planning and money that poor people often dont have

I am not saying that it isn't difficult.. What I am saying is that it can be done.. To your point planning and money come into play but you can make it happen. I did it..

 

[traestar]

I mean I'm planning on it now to move out, but just up and leaving is idiotic to me. WHERE? Is there an opportunity there? Will I be able to land a position around the area as soon as I get there?

I'm looking to move as close to the major city as possible, from NJ I'm not packing my bags throwing myself at jobs in Florida like that. There's a huge IT market in Texas and California, am I just throwing myself over there in hopes someone would give me a job, fuck no. The remote job industry is bridging the gap..now that's a plan because you are starting to build momentum not only in that job but into wherever you want to move.