Jax is #3 according to Forbes....

[Bill Hoff]

An interesting assesment. I don't see it.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/04/22/the-10-best-cities-for-finding-employment-right-now/

[mbwright]

After searching for about 6 months,  I left Jax for Tallahassee, as I could not find a job in IT.  This was about 2 years ago.  Go figure.

[ChriswUfGator]

Well of course, since they don't define 'employment.'

If you want a minimum-wage job earning $7.25 an hour at a call-center, or as a dishwasher, or laying shingles, working at one of our 475,636,365 different walmarts, mowing lawns, or whatever, then sure this is probably a great place. Jacksonville has no shortage of available employment that barely pays enough to cover their gas to get back and forth to work, and it has been that way as long as I've been here. Even in the corporate world the identical position here often pays less than it does in other cities, and I mean beyond any cost of living disparity. The employer mentality here is rather unique. This is why probably 80% or 90% of the people who get an education leave here and go somewhere else.

I don't get it and never have. If the business is running alright to begin with and the position takes any kind of skill, then what you really want is for them to be extremely good at what they do. The money is almost an afterthought, within reason. The logic around here is basically what's the best we can get for crap wages, because nobody with any skill is going to take the job or stay for long.

[duvaldude08]

Well of course, since they don't define 'employment.'

If you want a minimum-wage job earning $7.25 an hour at a call-center, or as a dishwasher, or laying shingles, working at one of our 475,636,365 different walmarts, mowing lawns, or whatever, then sure this is probably a great place. Jacksonville has no shortage of available employment that barely pays enough to cover their gas to get back and forth to work, and it has been that way as long as I've been here. Even in the corporate world the identical position here often pays less than it does in other cities, and I mean beyond any cost of living disparity. The employer mentality here is rather unique. This is why probably 80% or 90% of the people who get an education leave here and go somewhere else.

I don't get it and never have. If the business is running alright to begin with and the position takes any kind of skill, then what you really want is for them to be extremely good at what they do. The money is almost an afterthought, within reason. The logic around here is basically what's the best we can get for crap wages, because nobody with any skill is going to take the job or stay for long.

What call center pays $7.25?

[ChriswUfGator]

A lot of them pay that or near enough to it, or worse have questionable commission structures that sound good but yield low and sporadic income. And if they pay $8 or $9 instead of $7.25 I don't think it changes the point. I'm not going to argue the difference between $7.25 and $7.26, or $9, none of it is a living wage. The managers and up might do ok, I'm talking about the floor people.

[Tacachale]

These things are never very scientific. The article says "The ranking reflects considerations such as: the diversity of industries in the city, the cost of living, the range in size of companies offering employment, and high level of education among its residents. All those factors were weighed equally".

Our education level, or at least our college attainment rate is actually low. However, I think our proportion of people with advanced degrees is pretty good, though even there a lot of them are probably JDs, and a good number of them are medical interns who intern at the hospitals here but don't necessarily stay. However the diversity of industries here is obviously very strong, especially for Florida. The cost of living is low, and there's a wide range in the size of companies.

[fsquid]

Even in the corporate world the identical position here often pays less than it does in other cities, and I mean beyond any cost of living disparity. The employer mentality here is rather unique. This is why probably 80% or 90% of the people who get an education leave here and go somewhere else.

I've noticed this too.  That's why I've not corrected our HR database which still has me as a Charlotte employee.

[David]

After searching for about 6 months,  I left Jax for Tallahassee, as I could not find a job in IT.  This was about 2 years ago.  Go figure.

I was looking around 3 years ago, it was  job desert back then. I started job hunting about two months ago due to my company announcing layoffs (we were bought out) and i've been surprised by the number of call backs and interviews i've been getting. It's definitely the best job market in the past 4-5 years.  I believe the unemployment rate just fell to near 7% if not below it.

http://mayportmirror.jacksonville.com/community/mandarin/2013-04-19/story/unemployment-rate-falls-below-7-percentage-points-first-coast

[I-10east]

The employer mentality here is rather unique.

Well, if it's 'unique' here, then what that says about some of these cities that are behind us? Oh, let me guess, white collar nirvana, high paying jobs galore....

[GoldenEst82]

If you want a minimum-wage job earning $7.25 an hour at a call-center, or as a dishwasher, or laying shingles, working at one of our 475,636,365 different walmarts, mowing lawns, or whatever, then sure this is probably a great place. Jacksonville has no shortage of available employment that barely pays enough to cover their gas to get back and forth to work, and it has been that way as long as I've been here. Even in the corporate world the identical position here often pays less than it does in other cities, and I mean beyond any cost of living disparity. The employer mentality here is rather unique. This is why probably 80% or 90% of the people who get an education leave here and go somewhere else.

The logic around here is basically what's the best we can get for crap wages, because nobody with any skill is going to take the job or stay for long.

+1000000000000000

[duvaldude08]

A lot of them pay that or near enough to it, or worse have questionable commission structures that sound good but yield low and sporadic income. And if they pay $8 or $9 instead of $7.25 I don't think it changes the point. I'm not going to argue the difference between $7.25 and $7.26, or $9, none of it is a living wage. The managers and up might do ok, I'm talking about the floor people.

okay I was just asking., Because I do customer service and I make almost $20.00 an hour.. and Im not a manager.. But I guess I have a crap wage huh?

[duvaldude08]

A lot of them pay that or near enough to it, or worse have questionable commission structures that sound good but yield low and sporadic income. And if they pay $8 or $9 instead of $7.25 I don't think it changes the point. I'm not going to argue the difference between $7.25 and $7.26, or $9, none of it is a living wage. The managers and up might do ok, I'm talking about the floor people.

okay I was just asking., Because I do customer service and I make almost $20.00 an hour.. and Im not a manager.. But I guess I have a crap wage huh?

Congratulations, Duval dude, and I do mean that sincerely.  Not many people make as much as you do, so you must be very good at what you do.

But I bet you are willing to admit that you don't make the standard hourly wage.

atleast where I work its about standard. I make around 36,000, given Ive been here 8 years and I started off at 24,000. However, the new class we brought in was started at 34,000. I just kinda took that comment personally about the call center thing. Thats all

[duvaldude08]

A lot of them pay that or near enough to it, or worse have questionable commission structures that sound good but yield low and sporadic income. And if they pay $8 or $9 instead of $7.25 I don't think it changes the point. I'm not going to argue the difference between $7.25 and $7.26, or $9, none of it is a living wage. The managers and up might do ok, I'm talking about the floor people.

okay I was just asking., Because I do customer service and I make almost $20.00 an hour.. and Im not a manager.. But I guess I have a crap wage huh?

Congratulations, Duval dude, and I do mean that sincerely.  Not many people make as much as you do, so you must be very good at what you do.

But I bet you are willing to admit that you don't make the standard hourly wage.

atleast where I work its about standard. I make around 36,000, given Ive been here 8 years and I started off at 24,000. However, the new class we brought in was started at 34,000. I just kinda took that comment personally about the call center thing. Thats all

I agree, people can be very dismissive about call center employment, without realizing that there is a very wide spectrum of diversity within that job market.

I think Chris was mostly alluding the fact that people arent paid enough, not that they don't deserve any more than what they are getting.

understandable