Expert: Ernest Tufft - 6/17/2009

Question
Hello Ernest,  

I am from PA and looking to possibly move to CA.  I want to move somewhere where the weather is nicer year-round than here.  I am currently unemployed and looking for a job in a different state.  I have seen that CA has a high unemployment rate, but I wasn't sure if that's just because it is a big state, or if there really aren't any jobs there.  I'm looking into either clerical/office work, or possibly being a nanny.  Any help that you could give would be much appreciated.

Answer
Hi Emily,

The history of California is of immigrants abandoning ties elsewhere on the globe and coming here for the state's comfortable weather, unique and diverse geographical landscape, and high level of social tolerance.  My ancesters came over one hundred years ago and stayed for that reason.  It's generally very difficult for those born here to leave for life elsewhere in the nation.

While California's economy remains a locomotive for the nation as a whole, the employment situation is best for highly educated and technically trained workers.  It's much harder on low skill clerical, retail, and nanny type positions, as there is a plentitude of this type of labor from the immigrant pool arriving from Mexico and from all over the world.  Because of the high quality of life, there's a tendency for employers to expect a lot and pay very little.

The cost of living here is much higher than in the rest of the USA, particularly within the urban areas of San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles, but also within much of the rest of the state.  Housing prices will shock you.  However, there's a reason for this high cost of living--meaning you get what you pay for...

I really can't recommend for you whether to stay in PA or leave though, as I have many friends who have moved here from New York and elsewhere and who would never even dram of moving back.

Hope this helps...