Victor

This is a travel question:

I want to visit cities (with a goal of possible relocation) where the economy is booming again. I miss the late 1990s when there was labor shortages (lots of jobs) and the malls were full of happy shoppers and people talked about retiring at 50 with stock options.

Recent travels to the pacific northwest (where I live) were depressing. Unemployment in that area the highest it has been since the Reagan recession of the early 1980s, and businesses are being closed all the time. As a traveler (and Human Being) I found this to be a big turnoff.

Please tell me where I should visit where the economy has come back strong from last years recession?

Kathy

North Dakota has a near record low unemployment rate.

But the weather---

Tony

South Florida

walter

The Washington DC area is going strong.

no

The reason it's so depressed in the Pacific Northwest is due to all of the liberal give away programs supproted by either high income or sales taxes and too many unnessary environmental laws that make the cost of doing business there prohibitive. Good thing the Justice Dept. drove the tech stocks down by "breaking" Microsoft, beginning the Clinton Recession and not letting all those people retire at 50.

If you go to Hell, I hear it's booming and you may be with people you like.

nina

Apparently WDW. We were there a few weeks ago and it was so crowded you could barely move. I guess it's a good sign, as Disneyworld goes, so goes the nation.

Also, when I went to rent a house in Nantucket a few months ago for this summer, they were nearly all booked. If you ask me travel is back in full swing.

ryan

Vegas.

Fla native

WDW is not doing what it was hoping to. They had to let go of much staff and the hotels in the area also are reporting low figures. They seem to have some great deals to boost the numbers.

avy

Travel IS back in full swing!! I work for a major hotel chain, and we have been VERY busy--training classes are going constantly so we can keep up w/call volume. That is very good news to ALL of us!!

Bob

Economy in the Washington DC area is terrible.

All the low wage jobs (clerical retail, fast food, call center, security, etc. are now paying min wage now that the foreigners have taken over. (10 years ago they paid $12.00 an hour)

The temp jobs have dried up. The people in the temp business tell me it has never been so slow.

Professional jobs in administration, accounting, sales and HR have all but dried up. It is very depressing here.

Only the government is hiring and it takes a year to move through their hiring process.

walter

Sorry about your situation, Bob. I do work for the govt. and every agency I know is hiring all sorts of contract workers which happens very quickly, in addition to recruiting for civil service. Also, the real estate market is still going strong and the shop owners in my neighborhood, (suburban MD) say their businesses are great right now.

nina

Fla native, I would hate to be at WDW if it was actually as busy as they want it to be! It was unbelievably crowded. The worst I've seen it in the 6 times I've been there over the years. I don't think Disney can use the excuse that business is bad any longer.

x

Nina, just look at their business reports/stock reports. Spring Break time is always good for them

Dawn

The DC market is booming. The government is in terrible of need of contractors with technology/security experience. All of my clients are desperately seeking personnel with security clearances and technological backgrounds. I could find a new job in a week, if I needed one.

Victor

To Walter and Bob:

Sure they are hiring in DC but few have the skills they are looking for.

The job market for people without a super top secret clearance is absolutely terrible!

Stay away from DC.

Vegas

The economy in Las Vegas is really bad. They laid off scores of workers after September 11th and even though the hotels are filling up again, few have been hired back. The casinos have determined that it is OK to require the maids to clean twice as many dirty rooms, instead of hiring more help.

This affects the travelers who struggle with overworked employees at the hotels.

Guy

I hear the economy in New York City is really booming. Jobs go begging, hotels are full and the rates sky high again and employment agencies filling jobs right and left.

xxxx

In New York the temp agencies are not hiring anyone else and they have expanded the length one can be on unemployment.

Roger

Victor, get your facts straight. The 1982 recession can better be blamed on Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. You can also put blame on the nitwits who voted for these three nincompoops.

getyour

Roger, Roger, Roger... go someplace else to talk politics, dude.

The Midwest, particularly Omaha, KC, and Mpls are doing quite well, thank you. I hear the Omaha Zoo just opened the largest indoor desert in the world!

Close to Hell, maybe?