Recession limits Americans' ability to find work by moving

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2009-02-08-recession-unemployment-relocation_N.htm?csp=24&RM_Exclude=Juno

Recession limits Americans' ability to find work by moving

By Barbara Hagenbaugh and Barbara Hansen, USA TODAY
When it comes to the U.S. job market, there are few places to turn.

Every U.S. state and 95% of the nation's metropolitan areas will end 2009 with fewer jobs than they started with, while only two sectors — education and health services and government — will add workers.

That's the grim prediction from economic consulting firm Moody's Economy.com that illustrates how the recession is touching Americans in every corner of the country.

And it means that, unlike in prior downturns, most people who lose their jobs can't simply pick up and move to find work, an issue compounded by the housing crisis. Such an unprecedented lack of mobility will make the downturn longer and deeper, economists at Moody's Economy.com, Wachovia and others say.

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The ability to move to a place where there are better opportunities is important to the health of the U.S. economy and has long made downturns in the USA shorter and shallower than those in other parts of the world, Zandi says.

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Not only is it tough to find jobs elsewhere this time around, but with the housing market in a deep slump, people who could find a job elsewhere are stuck.

"That really hurts people's ability to be mobile because they can't sell," says Donald Grimes, senior research associate at the University of Michigan who studies labor trends.

[ddeclue]

1. This is pretty much true. nt

[exboyfil]

2. I have told my wife to get a job now that our youngest

is a fifth grader. I opened up our Sunday classifieds, and we have lots of jobs in our area. Whether that is sustainable in the long term is another question, but right now we have plenty of jobs - many requiring little or no skill. We recently had ads for manufacturing jobs at a large local manufacturer that stated they would also train.

It appears getting a CNA would be a quick ticket to a job in many places, and many of these places would have relatively low cost of living. I am not saying that it would be a great life, but a couple or two roommates could make a go at it.

[Skittles]

3. you TOLD your wife

or you SUGGESTED?

[leftstreet]

4. You 'told' your wife to get a job?

:popcorn:

[exboyfil]

5. I suggested it about three years ago

I have moved to the told stage. She has not worked since two years before the oldest was born. It is really not about toys for myself since, except for food, I don't spend money on myself (unless you count Internet access which we all use - my $300 computer is doing just great). I want to cancel the cable, but she won't let me. I wear clothes until they have holes in them (the same for shoes). We have one 15 year old television. We hold onto cars for 13 years. I recently replaced her 13 year old car, and I paid $5K more than I would otherwise so that she could have a feature she required. The only non-clothes/food purchases I made last year on myself was a technical book for work and an Archeology magazine subscription (because my kid had to sell magazines for school). I also bought a $10 MP3 player. Thats it. My other purchases were driven by the needs of the kids (2 violins, a clarinet, etc).

I have explained to her two reasons for getting a job. The first is my company's bonus is going away for the near term, and that income needs to be replaced. The second is that, there is a potential that I will lose my job, and we need the second income for back up in the transition.

Now that the kids are in school I really do not see a reason why she can't work. I am willing to do more around the house to support her going back to work. If you count outside work, I probably spend about as much time as she does right now on things to take care of the house/kids. This is in addition to normally 50 hrs/week (now 60 hrs/week) that I work outside the home.

Told might be a strong word, but the well being of the family is at stake.

Anybody have suggestions if she continues to passively refuse to do anything about getting a job.

[JDPriestly]

6. How much of the housework and childcare are you planning to do?

I worked after my children were established in school. My children did not suffer because my husband really pitched in and helped out. I worked 8:30-5:30, so my husband not only picked the children up from school, but he took them to after school activities, supervised homework and helped with a lot of the housework. If you want your wife to work, make a deal to take on more responsibility around the house especially with childcare. She will probably be delighted to get out in the world and be with grownups for a change.

[exboyfil]

8. I already help my kids with the homework

my wife does not. I took a day off work (vacation) to prep my daughter for her Algebra assessment test which she passed and was able to get into Algebra a year earlier than our neolithic school system had planned for her. My oldest rides the bus to school now, and my youngest is a block from the school.

I am very engaged in my daughters' lives.

My wife is never home during the day. She is already engaged in the real world with her various activities that, while fulfulling for her and helping society, do not bring dollars to the family. A 5th and 7th grader are pretty independent, and they already help her with housework.

[newfie11]

7. I am very familiar with moving to get work

My husband has been laid off several times over the 36 years we have been married.

We moved from N. Carolina (hubby laid of due to DRG regulations)to Northern Michigan. When the hospital consolidated there(5 years later) , his job went under a manager in another dept that had been there longer.

He found a job in IL. We moved. I hated the pollution and after a year there we moved to Rapid City SD. We were there for 15 years. Now he is retired and we live in Nebraska.

During this time our children were growing up and I was also working. At the time my job was in demand all over the country unfortunately not any more (x-ray technologist). I might also add that every move meant we also took 3 dogs, 4 horses, a goat or two, sometimes a couple of chickens and barn cats. Yes, We rented places even with this menagerie.
Yes sometimes we had houses to sell and the kids and I stayed behind until they sold.

You do what you have to do.

One more addition. My Dad was an electrician and we moved where ever the union sent him. That would mean anywhere in the country. Usually stayed on one area 3-5 months at a time. School was difficult but I did graduate and I LOVED the moving. We had a dog and cat and even a rooster for a while (easter chick). The rooster was after we bought a house trailer. My dad moved it from place to place himself. I know some construction workers are now using RV's and doing the same thing.

You do what you have to do.