Moving East

A couple of weeks ago, a cousin flew in from California to try his luck in finding a job here in the East Coast.  He’s 27 years old and has been looking for a job since he was laid off from his last one last March.  He grew up in the Los Angeles area and prior to losing his job, never contemplated moving to the Big Apple.

But the current recession and financial crisis is a different one.  Several states, California included, have unemployment rates that run in the double digits.  In fact, just last Saturday, the New York Times reported that California’s unemployment rate has shot up to 11.9%.  Given California’s population and the size of its economy, reportedly the 8th largest in the world, this is certainly a huge problem. 

My cousin told me that the job ads page of the Los Angeles Times is practically empty.   In all the months he had spent job searching there, not once had he been called in for an interview.  On the other hand, the few requests for job interviews that he had received had come from companies in New York.  A number of his friends, ones he grew up with in the Los Angeles area, have moved to New York  and into new jobs in the past few years.  My cousin came over here in June for a couple of interviews with a couple of companies and he flew back again a few weeks ago to go on three more job interviews with three other companies.  His second and current trip to New York finally bore fruit because he was able to land a job with a Madison Avenue ad agency.  He got his official job offer this past Saturday and he mailed back his acceptance early this week.

The latest report from the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics supports his experience.  The report said that for the month of July, New York registered an increase in employment of 62,100 jobs compared to California which lost 35,800 jobs.  Among all 50 states, New York registered the largest increase in level of employment while California was the exact opposite by registering the largest decrease in level of employment.

It certainly helps that for all its troubles, New York remains one of the anchors of the US economy.  There is a great diversity of business, industry, and people jammed into all of Manhattan’s 23 square miles of land area.  All American corporations of significance from any industry maintain an office in the island.  The borough of Manhattan is America’s most densely populated and one of its wealthiest.  As America’s business capital, it attracts a huge number of foreign companies to set up either their American headquarters or offices there.  By attracting all that wealth and investment, jobs will surely follow even in the hardest of times.  But aside from being a business center, Manhattan is also a cultural and academic center.  There are a host of theaters, art and historical museums, universities, art galleries, art districts, etc. to cater to everyone’s passions.  A highly developed and efficient mass transit system brings thousands of commuters from neighboring states of New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania to Manhattan each day either for work or entertainment.  All these combine to bring and support much needed employment into the city.

But going back to my cousin, I’m certainly very happy for him that he has found a job here.  In fact, the day after he got his job offer, I helped him and his mom do some apartment hunting on my side of the Hudson.  Even during our apartment search, the leasing agents we met with told us that there has been an influx of people from California.  Another sign of the financial crisis is that we didn’t have any trouble finding him a suitable apartment with very good amenities and at the price we wanted.  It’s a buyer’s market right now as far as buying or leasing properties is concerned.  Thus, his mom and I made sure that we got him the most advantageous deal we could get.

He’s a good, smart and frugal kid.  I wish him well in his new job and in his new life here.  Personally, I’m also happy with the fact that I now have another close relative nearby.  I’m rather close to his mother, my aunt who is my father’s youngest sibling.  She’s always been the “cool” aunt in the family.  She’s happy that her little boy has found job but I know that his moving to the East Coast will also sadden her and her husband as well.  Theirs is a tight and loving family.  Although they’ll be losing a son to the East Coast, I know they know that it is a good problem to have right now.