Is Seattles job market starting to crash slowly? (2015, apartment)

[annonymous0381]

In early January 2016 my job was laying off all half of its workforce. Unfortunately I was included in that 50%. Lucky enough for me I have enough savings to eat, pay my rent and even buy a condo. My apartment lease is up in July 2016 and I have enough savings to get me through.


For the past month I have been applying for jobs online and getting no interviews. Even minimum wage grocery store jobs and minimum wage retail jobs aren't hiring in Seattle currently. When I moved to Seattle from Los Angeles in July 2015 I was offered 4 salaried jobs within a week of arriving in Seattle.

Is it just me or is the economy in Seattle slowing down?

In my jewish singles social group 3 people who I know lost their jobs this January and had to move back in with their parents in the Seattle area.


Will Seattles job market improve in the next few months?

[HuskyDawg]

If you have enough cash to buy condo outright. They won't give a mortgage without a jobeee job.

[flyingsaucermom]

My husband just got a PM under him and he's about to hire 2 developers, probably from out of state.

Of course, he's at Amazon.

[Ruth4Truth]

That's alarming to hear, OP. I wonder what's causing it. Is anyone aware of some macro-trends in the region that could be at the root of this?

And you know, on another thread someone posted recently that rents are coming down, too. Makes sense, if people are losing their jobs, and maybe leaving to search elsewhere....

So much for that theoretical "recovery" we're supposed to be in.

[annonymous0381]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

That's alarming to hear, OP. I wonder what's causing it. Is anyone aware of some macro-trends in the region that could be at the root of this?

And you know, on another thread someone posted recently that rents are coming down, too. Makes sense, if people are losing their jobs, and maybe leaving to search elsewhere....

So much for that theoretical "recovery" we're supposed to be in.

Certain months could be better than others to search for jobs. Maybe January is a slow month for hiring?

[Hemlock140]

I just hired one person last week, and have another opening now. Both are taking longer than normal because HR is so busy filling upper level management positions. Besides many boomer retirements, we have had several people recruited from other employers over the last few months.
I'm still seeing many signs for hiring in the minimum wage or just above
jobs, such as restaurants, home centers, supermarkets and retail.

[ctr88]

I have not heard any news of any major layoffs yet in Seattle. Amazon, Boeing, MSFT, Zillow, Expedia, construction jobs, etc... all seem to be doing well. Also all I hear is that housing market is still extremely hot with low inventory. I have not heard anything official about rents falling. Nov-Feb are traditionally the slowest times for people moving. There doesn't seem to be any ominous signs in the overall economy like there were leading up to the last two recessions (2000 massive stock market crash, dot coms going out of business like crazy, big layoffs and 2007 foreclosure starts spiking, housing inventory rising, subprime mortgage companies going BK left and right).

But who knows. I do wonder sometimes if this recovery since 2009 is for real or if it's been completely propped up the Fed 7 yrs of zero interest and massive QE stimulus (and globally unprecented central bank stimulus - even now negative interest rates by Japan! - zero wasn't good enough!). But there are plenty of people that have debunked this theory and say the recovery is real. So who knows, I'm not smart enough to call recessions. Only time will tell.

[homesinseattle]

In a word, "no". The job market here is excellent. Most companies I have clients at are hiring consistently. Most articles written about our city say exactly the same thing. Maybe the OP is in a business segment that is having restructuring, that is in no means indicative of the overall strength of the area.

[CrazyDonkey]

Actually, having the economy here slow down a bit could be healthy. Allow supply and demand to get more in balance.

[Bolo99]

That sucks TS. You moved to the area for this job, sorry to hear about your unfortunate situation. It's time to pound the pavement hard to land your next gig.