NJ Unemployment

[Teky0101 6]

Hello Everyone,

Has anyone else recently noticed that descent jobs in NJ practically seem to be non-existent? I have been working for roughly five years as a Freelance Graphic Designer & IT Technician and obtaining corporate employment has been virtually impossible. I am curious are there other people here with different occupations who are seeking employment and simply cannot find work? If so, could you post the occupation? It might be nice to try and network together. Perhaps when someone sees a listing in your field they could send you PM or simply post it within this discussion. Thank you everyone for your time and I hope we can work together.

[checko 180]

Hello Everyone,

Has anyone else recently noticed that descent jobs in NJ practically seem to be non-existent? I have been working for roughly five years as a Freelance Graphic Designer & IT Technician and obtaining corporate employment has been virtually impossible. I am curious are there other people here with different occupations who are seeking employment and simply cannot find work? If so, could you post the occupation? It might be nice to try and network together. Perhaps when someone sees a listing in your field they could send you PM or simply post it within this discussion. Thank you everyone for your time and I hope we can work together.

We do have a job board on forum

 

http://njgunforums.com/forum/index.php/forum/116-job-board/

[Teky0101 6]

Thank you Checko! I had no idea there was one located on this forum. I am going to check this out. Thank you for your help!

[Oleg 8]

Well, technically I am talking about jobs in NYC but no matter where you look there is a shortage of skilled IT specialists. My previous company had hard times finding talent, my current company also have the same troubles. All my friends in the industry complain about problems hiring the right people.

My team had three different open positions for a long long time and I was able to find only one qualified person.

Same problem exists in other countries (Ukraine in my example).

I interview lots of people and their qualifications are just not there, or they have extremely narrow skill set.

 

In summary there are ton of work in IT if you know what you are doing.

[checko 180]

No prob

[Underdog 1,593]

It seems like much less traffic on the road.

[Geek 4]

NY and NJ are both in the worst 5 states to do business on any survey on the matter.  When Corzine tossed the "millionaire's tax" on the pile, the result was lots of small businessmen decided it was time to move south.  With each business that moves out of state we lose not just the businessman tat owns the business but all the jobs.  We now have a declining population and an even faster declining tax base.

[djg0770 481]

We now have a declining population and an even faster declining tax base.

With an ever increasing tax burden.

[jm1827 284]

In the large Pharma/Bio-tech sector I see a slow but consistent contraction in the industry with most if not all new jobs being created down south.  As the trend of consolidation in the industry continues I see the pace accelerating, with more jobs being eliminated and new jobs being created elsewhere.

 

 

 

From a long term strategic perspective the cost of doing business on a large scale is just too expensive in the NY/NJ area.  All of the input costs are high including land, taxes and labor. 

[seamusSU 0]

In the large Pharms/Bio-tech sector I see a slow but consistent contraction in the industry with most if not all new jobs being created down south. As the trend of consolidation in the industry continues I see the pace accelerating, with more jobs being eliminated and new jobs being created elsewhere.

From a long term strategic perspective the cost of doing business on a large scale is just too expensive in the NY/NJ area. All of the input costs are high including land, taxes and labor.

I work in pharma research and it has not been a slow decrease but more of a mass casualty over the past few years, at least in the US. The trending strategy for many companies is to have a skeleton crew of internal research coordinators with the actual work farmed out. NJ is not and will likely never again be the "nation's medicine cabinet"

 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

 

[Blacksmythe 71]

AT&T has positions, but they might be below you if 80K & benefits and a union isn't enough. 

[Melgamatic 66]

Has anyone else recently noticed that descent jobs in NJ practically seem to be non-existent? I have been working for roughly five years as a Freelance Graphic Designer & IT Technician and obtaining corporate employment has been virtually impossible. 

 

As far as I can tell, there is below 0% employment for IT techs and developers in NYC.  I recently hired several developers, and it took me months to find the right guys; everyone with the skills I needed was well employment.  Same when I had to hire a desktop tech a year ago.  There were none.  The few my recruiters found for me had real issues.

 

I suggest finding a (reputable) search firm in NYC to help you.  You shouldn't be having this much trouble if you are looking in NYC.  Also, remember that few jobs are advertised in newspapers and websites.

[raz-0 1,259]

As far as I can tell, there is below 0% employment for IT techs and developers in NYC.  I recently hired several developers, and it took me months to find the right guys; everyone with the skills I needed was well employment.  Same when I had to hire a desktop tech a year ago.  There were none.  The few my recruiters found for me had real issues.

 

I suggest finding a (reputable) search firm in NYC to help you.  You shouldn't be having this much trouble if you are looking in NYC.  Also, remember that few jobs are advertised in newspapers and websites.

 

If he is heavy on the graphic design, and light on the IT, it's sparse, especially if you don't know how to deal with print and/or video in addition to web (and not knowing the difference will get you cut from interviews FAST if that skillset is needed at all). If you are just a web graphics type, there's like 80 bajillion of you and a small fraction of that in terms of jobs. 

 

It also has the same problem that lots of the folks claiming no shortage of IT work. Note they said I needed a person who coudl do X, Y, and Z. People don't expect any learning to take place on the job and want an exact fit. Which is absurd in IT unless you are prepared to go headhunting with a nice big check. I remember people wanting 15 years of Java developer experience in 1997. The main difference is that in design, school COULD teach you a broad solid skill set that would get you close. Lots don't. In IT you can't really as there is too much depth and breadth in technology to get both. 

 

For design, around here, the only answer I have is temp services. If you are broadly skilled, they will keep you placed most of the year, but probably not for more than about $45k a year worth of income. If you aren't broadly skilled, they will drop you out of rotation. 

[Teky0101 6]

Thank you everyone for your input it is most appreciated! I have seen listings here and there in North and Central Jersey but that is really far to travel day to day. If possible I am seeking employment in South Jersey or possibly right over the bridge in Delaware. Any help would be appreciated!

[Newtonian 453]

Hello Everyone,

Has anyone else recently noticed that descent jobs in NJ practically seem to be non-existent? I have been working for roughly five years as a Freelance Graphic Designer & IT Technician and obtaining corporate employment has been virtually impossible. I am curious are there other people here with different occupations who are seeking employment and simply cannot find work? If so, could you post the occupation? It might be nice to try and network together. Perhaps when someone sees a listing in your field they could send you PM or simply post it within this discussion. Thank you everyone for your time and I hope we can work together.

If you're looking for an actual company to hire you, I have a great concealed carry cause you can work for as a volunteer.

 

If you resign yourself to being a freelancer you will be up to your neck in work, as I am. Companies are laying off people left and right, and looking for individuals who can work on a per-project basis.

 

Get in touch with all the design places and PR firms you can, within 100 miles of where you live. Tell them you're looking for freelance opportunities. Do the usual resume' and portfolio stuff. Don't take short cuts. Don't work for very small companies unless they pay you up front or offer you a retainer. 

 

And use a spell-checker.

[wooly bugger 1]

In the pharma industry, I'm finding that there's no shortage of work in clinical development. What I am seeing is a sharp decline in big pharma jobs, which are being replaced by smaller biotechs and CROs (contract research organizations.) The key is to be nimble and keep your eyes open. The days of the one company lifer are over.

 

The only thing NJ has to offer is a concentration of talent. I now work at a pharma in CT, and it's very hard to find people who are local or willing to relocate. Outside of fields like pharma and finance, that rely on concentrated pools of specialized talent which are historically located in this area, I see no reason to do business in NJ.

 

It's kind of a vicious cycle. The companies don't want to be here, and many of us don't want to be here, but we're all stuck here until one side or the other takes unilateral action and moves en mass. I'm hoping for a migration to the RDU Research Triangle.

[Pythagoras 2]

I'm hoping for a migration to the RDU Research Triangle.

Raleigh-Durham is a nice area, I was looking down there last year. Lots of stuff going on

[Scorpio64 5,180]

NJ used to be America's technology R&D heartland.  Ft.Monmouth supported many many tech companies small and large. From the first commercially viable light bulb, the transistor and flat screen technology, all the R&D was done right here in NJ.  Sadly, the corporations have either been disbanded by the government or fled south to a more corporate friendly environment.  Sure you can still find tech jobs but there are no more 15 minute commutes, no gold watch, and you have to be your own boss.  You also have to be able to hit the ground running.  30 years ago large corporations were okay with taking up to a month to get new hires up to speed if they had the basic skills and just needed to fill in the specialized skills required to do a job. In short, there is no low hanging fruit anymore, you need a big ladder to pick what's left all the way at the top of the tree.

 

FWIW, I worked for bell Labs, when that went away I was a technical recruiter for a while, then an IT/Network tech, then a self employed IT/Net Tech.  Now I own a cleaning company and mop floors.

[djg0770 481]

Now I own a cleaning company and mop floors.

 

And are probably much much happier...

[Scorpio64 5,180]

And are probably much much happier...

Well, the job security is better, I have more free time in the day to go to the range and my wife, she helps out sometimes, has yet to file a complaint for sexual harassment.  I do miss the adrenaline rush of getting mission critical equipment up and running again.  I was very good at that.  When shit broke, I got it up and running fast.

[diamondd817 828]

I work in pharma research and it has not been a slow decrease but more of a mass casualty over the past few years, at least in the US. The trending strategy for many companies is to have a skeleton crew of internal research coordinators with the actual work farmed out. NJ is not and will likely never again be the "nation's medicine cabinet"

 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

I find it interesting that Bayer just built a huge facility in Whippany, NJ.

[ryan_j 0]

AT&T has positions, but they might be below you if 80K & benefits and a union isn't enough. 

 

Recruiters keep spamming me with jobs at AT&T. Based on what others have told me I don't think I'd want to work there.

 

I used to work in NJ from 2003-2007. My last job was with AIG and that went away when the market started to slide, and they had their own issues. But I enjoyed working there. It was not far from places like Short Hills and I lived in Wayne so it was an easy commute. 

 

Now I work in NYC, and while I like what my job offers in the way of salary and benefits, I wish I could work in NJ (or PA) closer to home. 

 

Another company I used to work for, Pfizer consumer Healthcare, sold that business to Johnson and Johnson, but I had left long before that. 

 

I remember seeing big companies in beaultiful office parks, but it seems like a lot of companies just packed up and left, much of it during the Corzine years and accelerated during and after the financial crisis. 

[HBecwithFn7 296]

Now I work in NYC, and while I like what my job offers in the way of salary and benefits, I wish I could work in NJ (or PA) closer to home. 

 

Plus, you have to file Tax returns in both states (and pay more, overall since NY rates are higher)....   

 

I am so glad that I left NYC in 2005.   I wont acquire business clients there for that reason, unless I have to. And I'll try to negotiate a NJ nexus with them so I can bill them in NJ instead.

[ryan_j 0]

Yeah tell me about it. It is not an insignificant amount of money either.

 

But I still have to file a NY return because my wife works for NYC. She has a good bit of service in with pension and health insurance. She does have to pay the NYC 1127 tax though.  That's also part of the reason we couldn't move to Texas 7 years ago. I suppose we are stuck here until she either retires from the city or the city downsizes the workforce. 

[NJdiverTony 27]

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[greatgunstatenj 32]

Plus, you have to file Tax returns in both states (and pay more, overall since NY rates are higher)....   

 

I am so glad that I left NYC in 2005.   I wont acquire business clients there for that reason, unless I have to. And I'll try to negotiate a NJ nexus with them so I can bill them in NJ instead.

 

 

Yeah tell me about it. It is not an insignificant amount of money either.

 

But I still have to file a NY return because my wife works for NYC. She has a good bit of service in with pension and health insurance. She does have to pay the NYC 1127 tax though.  That's also part of the reason we couldn't move to Texas 7 years ago. I suppose we are stuck here until she either retires from the city or the city downsizes the workforce. 

Not sure how you are filing but I file in NY and NJ and it's a wash at the end of the year. Totally worth it considering salaries in NY in my field are way higher and jobs are much more plentiful. Yeah I hate the commute but once I pay off my mortgage I'll say sayonara to NYC. OP is in the IT field he should certainly be looking for work in the city. Graphic Design you can do from anywhere, which is part of the problem why pay someone $100/hr to do it here when they can pay some guy in a 3rd world country to do it for $20. Anything hands on like technician work is still out there.

 

If you are good the jobs will find you. Put all your information out on LinkedIn and the recruiters will seek you out. Look at what is hot in the IT industry right now - virtualization, storage, big data. Learn this stuff and you will be set for the next 5-10 years easily.

 

[edit for spelling]

[dimitrge 10]

My company decided to move company to PA. With my wife settled in here(she from LI), we aren't making a move. The new company is loaded with real a-&$&@. They don't have business knowledge and everyone with the exception of 4-5 mid level managers going. In 3 months they expect to do it. They will collapse monumentally and were warned it would happen. They decided to fill low level positions with college kids, mid level with people with no experience in the line of business. It's a niche area of insurance. It takes about 12 just to grasp most of it. I've been here 7 yrs and still learn new things

[HBecwithFn7 296]

Not sure how you are filing but I file in NY and NJ and it's a wash at the end of the year. Totally worth it considering salaries in NY in my field are way higher and jobs are much more plentiful.

I haven't filed both in almost 10 years,  but as I recall, it was not quite a "wash" for me. That is, NJ did allow a "credit for taxes paid to other jurisdictions,"  but it didn't cover the entire greater amounts I paid to NY.  Plus, there is the bureaucracy of having to file in two states and paying extra for that. I was not allowed to file electronically in NJ because I also had to file in NYS.

 

If you are good the jobs will find you. Put all your information out on LinkedIn and the recruiters will seek you out. Look at what is hot in the IT industry right now - virtualization, storage, big data. Learn this stuff and you will be set for the next 5-10 years easily.

 

Not if you are, or appear to be, over 50+....     Perhaps even 45+

 

Nonetheless, I'm not interested in FTE work, anyway. I own an IT consulting business, and what I seek are "business clients" not  "jobs."  That's a much different kind of effort.

 

But, to the original point, as a sole member LLC, I'd still have to pay taxes to any State where I work or to where I must invoice clients (and attempt to claim the credit on NJ 1040). I'm trying to keep it minimized, and NY is one I'd rather *not* take on.

[ryan_j 0]

Not sure how you are filing but I file in NY and NJ and it's a wash at the end of the year. Totally worth it considering salaries in NY in my field are way higher and jobs are much more plentiful. Yeah I hate the commute but once I pay off my mortgage I'll say sayonara to NYC. OP is in the IT field he should certainly be looking for work in the city. Graphic Design you can do from anywhere, which is part of the problem why pay someone $100/hr to do it here when they can pay some guy in a 3rd world country to do it for $20. Anything hands on like technician work is still out there.

 

If you are good the jobs will find you. Put all your information out on LinkedIn and the recruiters will seek you out. Look at what is hot in the IT industry right now - virtualization, storage, big data. Learn this stuff and you will be set for the next 5-10 years easily.

 

[edit for spelling]

 

I definitely pay more to NY than NJ and don't recover it all with the NJ credit. Maybe because I'm in a high tax bracket which is why it works out that way. Also, NY doesn't allow me to deduct my property taxes.