NJ UE dips to 5.1%

From the Record:

N.J. added 13,300 jobs in December, for 65,200 in 2015

New Jersey’s unemployment rate in December fell to its lowest level since six months into the recession, as New Jersey added 13,300 jobs for an annual total of 65,200 – the highest figure in 15 years.

The state added 12,500 private-sector jobs and 800 government jobs in December, according to the monthly employment report by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The jobless rate fell from 5.4 percent in November to 5.1 percent – a level the state has not seen since June 2008. New Jersey’s rate, which was for a long time far higher than the nation’s, is now only a tenth of a point above the national rate of 5 percent.

The state has now recovered just over 80 percent of the 258,000 jobs lost as a result of the recession.

James Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, called it a “strong report.”

He noted that the jobless rate fell because people found jobs, rather than because they left the work force, as has happened in the past. He also welcomed the growth in the labor force – the number of people who either have a job or are looking for one.

“The unemployment rate went down for good reason,” he said. “The fact that the labor force is growing indicates that people are starting to sense that there are available jobs out there, and they are returning to the labor force.”

The report also revised the November figures, reducing the previously announced gain of 7,900 jobs to an increase of 4,800.

The full year figures showed that the state in 2015 gained the most jobs in the education and health services sector, the trade, transportation and utilities sector and the construction sector. All of the major sectors added jobs over the year.

“With these gains and with the unemployment rate hitting the lowest levels since before the recession, the Garden State begins the New Year on a very strong economic foundation,” said James Wooster, chief economist for the New Jersey Department of Treasury.

This entry was posted in Economics, Employment, New Jersey Real Estate. Bookmark the permalink.

121 Responses to NJ UE dips to 5.1%

  1. frist. Also, grim, could you please read this on an upcoming trip and then send it to me if you think it meets my standards? Thanks in advance.

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118973054?ascsubtag=pfb-DPD-1-2-1445653197125P7&ref_=pfb_DPD_1_2_1445653197125P7&tag=hydfbook0e-20

  2. grim says:

    Something somewhat hypocritical about a contrarian writing a book on being a contrarian.

    No? Am I wrong?

    If the guy is good at investing, and is a contrarian, he should understand that the ROI on publishing a book that appeals to what should be the small minority would probably be a waste of his time. Dollar for dollar, if he’s so good, he should be making money investing, not writing books that will never be mainstream.

    If the book does well – read: appeals to the mainstream – then it isn’t contrarian at all.

    And frankly, anything set in the context, or referenced because of, the last 3 weeks of stock market performance should be immediately suspect.

    In my opinion, 99.99999% of the mainstream financial press is absolutely garbage.

  3. grim says:

    Disclaimer, my only investment/change in the last few months (other than 401k additions) was last week, and was to make a lump sum addition to my daughter’s 529.

  4. Fisher is a billionaire, but he might have started out as one too.

  5. chicagofinance says:

    leftwing: tried to get tickets to bring my 9 year old, but sold out…..maybe think of it earlier next year…..
    https://tickets.princeton.edu/athletics/Online/mapSelect.asp

  6. I managed to get a 5.1% return on my 401K for 2015 which, in hindsight, is pretty good. I was only in the market for about 20 days total, and not in a row. Our company’s plan doesn’t have a money market, instead it has the “T Rowe Price Stable Value Fund” which is a piece of crap as it is filled with derivatives and GICs. How else can you deliver a 2.5% return? In any case, that’s where 100% of my 401K has been for almost all of the last 18 months. I find it unconscionable that there is truly no safe investment in our 401K. I think this year some of my colleagues will find out how much money you can lose in a bond fund.

  7. 1987 Condo says:

    I am holding firm on my earlier forecast (North Jersey) 0-30 inches..bank on it!

  8. Comrade Nom Deplume, back at sea level says:

    I saw this and thought of JJ.

    http://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/20/sex-toys-embrace-wearable-technology.html

    He would probably come up with a pithy term, like “dickbit”

  9. But he would misspell it.
    He would probably come up with a pithy term, like “dickbit”

    BTW, JJ purports to have his same job on LinkedIn, but I suspect he’s on the bricks.

  10. grim says:

    JJ would do much better than dickbit.

    C’mon …. oarlocks.

  11. Methinks a good 1,000 point swing might be in the offing soon.

  12. S&P futures at 1889 right now, which would rewind us to LAST Wednesday’s close. I may buy a few thousand shares of FAS on the open.

  13. Comrade Nom Deplume, back at sea level says:

    [10] grim

    I’m just not seeing the tech tie-in with oarlocks.

    And I thought dickbit was pithy. Too predictable?

  14. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Yes, you focus on all the high tax/high cost areas. I was comparing the high tax/high cost nj vs the no 1 low tax state Wyoming. I was trying to show you why no one would move based on taxes, unless they are retiring (made their money already). The point of my comparison was to show you the savings in taxes does not make up for the income lost by moving to that low tax state. That’s why I stated, if you took out the urban blight in nj, the incomes would blow the country avgs out the door. So the reason people stay in a high tax/high cost state like nj, as opposed to a low cost/low tax state is because of the PAYCHECK. People want to make money. What’s the point of low taxes if you can’t make as much money? So stop acting like people are running away from jersey or other high cost locations to some low cost state. Only people running are the people that already made their money. The other people that are moving got conned into a relocation package, or they are just low skilled individuals with no chance to make big money in the high cost area. Stop acting like rich people are running away from the high cost areas. They are not and it’s wrong to state that (yes, you have stated it numerous times on this blog).

    leftwing says:
    January 22, 2016 at 3:42 am
    Let me explain why you have no idea what you are talking about.

    ” If you took out those urban areas of jersey, do you know how much our taxes would go down? Most low tax states don’t have to deal with the poverty issue that the high cost states do.”

    By definition when dealing with averages and medians there are values above and beneath both. Unless he data set is entirely homogenous, which is a major erroneous assumption on your part.

    So, remove the bottom and by definition the average/median increases. ALWAYS.

    Take the Bronx out of New York State (ranked dead last by county, $18k per capita income) and per capita income goes up.

    Take Manhattan out of New York State (ranked first place by county, $111k per capita income) and per capita income goes down.

    Ditto Compton and Beverly Hills for LA County. And on. And on.

    Donkey.

    There is a second major issue with your statement, which I have neither the time nor inclination to dissect.

  15. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I thought nj was done. Job reports state otherwise. I think I was dead on in stating that nj was just going through a transitional period in its economy. The location is too valuable to business. If one industry leaves, another will step in, it just takes time to happen. Nj’s economy is/has been transitioning for a good 10-15 years.

  16. Pumps – has anyone been in to check on you this morning?

  17. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Nope. How’s the TA going? Charts told you all you need to know?

    The Original NJ ExPat says:
    January 22, 2016 at 8:55 am
    Pumps – has anyone been in to check on you this morning?

  18. leftwing says:

    14. Yaaawwwn….

    If white were black, it would be black.

    What I’ve stated numerous times is that when looking at one’s personal income places like NNJ should not be evaluated on income alone, but on savings after adjusting for quality of life (noted, subjective). Because although incomes can be substantially higher, so are living expenses.

    I’m not impressed that a cubicle rat here can bang out $175k if the house he lives in is my famous Chatham Section 8 and he has no savings. My argument is that one would be better off earning $105k somewhere else living in a better abode and having $10k left over annually.

    Does no good to have twice the income with three times the expense.

    For purposes of what you are trying to demonstrate averages are useless since most of the activity takes place at the farther bands of the distribution curve.

    Apologize for my prior comment. Not two major issues with you’re statement. Four.

  19. grim says:

    Stu – what’s my forecast

  20. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    My forecast is for “pain.”

    Buried at work this morning. Will update you all a bit later when I get a few minutes to look at the models.

    I did 3.3% last year in my 401k which was really not too shabby. Down 11.81% so far in 2016. Woohoo!

  21. [17] Nope.

    Nope. How’s the TA going? Charts told you all you need to know?

  22. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    The models are trending for deeper snow rather than shallower. I couldn’t help myself so I snuck a peak. The high res local models are all predicting closer to 2 feet for Central/North Jersey. The lower res global models, especially the Euro, is still being stubborn. The NAM, is not relenting and has been calling for the a monster a mere 8 reports in a row. That’s 4 days straight without a waiver. Typically at the is point the NAM would collapse to the Euro, but both are stubbornly standing their grounds. At this point. I would take a blend of the two and say 8 to 24 inches. There’s just too much uncertainty.

    Here’s the new NOAA experimental snow prediction which was pretty good towards the end of last season when it was released. Check out the range. 0-23″.

    http://www.weather.gov/okx/winter

  23. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    NWS has 6-12 for Glen Ridge. But they hump the Euro, which completely blew it last winter compared to the Nam/GFS.

  24. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    Remember how bad they were with Juno?

  25. leftwing says:

    Chi, great place to see a game. Cornell usually brings its band, loud as he11 in that small barn. Used to take my kids and their friends at that age each season. Hit that no frills pizza place just outside of town off of 206 (coming from North).

    I have two friends, each with a kid in that game. Can ask them if they could grab an extra pair of tickets if you want.

  26. The Great Pumpkin says:

    18- Listen, if you want to bank money, this is still one of the places to be in our country. You don’t have to live in chatham. You can live in a cheaper area and bank all the money. Obviously, quality of life will be affected, but if you are interested in banking money, it can be done in this area.

  27. grim says:

    Ah thanks, good insight – what website do you use for the model updates?

  28. The Great Pumpkin says:

    “First-time homebuyers are finally jumping into the U.S. property market.

    Need proof? Look at the mortgage market’s fastest-growing segment: loans with low down payments insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

    Originations of FHA-backed mortgages, used predominately by first-time buyers, were up 54 percent in September from a year earlier, according to the most recent data from CoreLogic Inc. By December, the FHA insured 22 percent of all loan originations, up from 17 percent a year earlier, according to data compiled by Ellie Mae Inc.”

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-22/there-s-some-hope-for-first-time-home-buyers

  29. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:
  30. Comrade Nom Deplume and His Amazing Trick Back says:

    What I hate about nor’easters is that they never put the snow where we really want and need it–Ski areas.

  31. Comrade Nom Deplume and His Amazing Trick Back says:

    [31] lib

    Damn. Every single model and report shows 18 inches for my area. I think I will need more gas for devices. Otherwise, I’m ready.

    Pissed off as I had lots of fun events planned for tomorrow. Also, I don’t have a decent sled for the girls.

  32. Comrade Nom Deplume and His Amazing Trick Back says:

    I think that if it starts out light and fluffy, I will use a leaf blower to keep things clear until it starts to accumulate. Easier to walk and point than to push. Anyone else try this before?

  33. Raymond Reddington formerly Phoenix says: says:

    32. If you need it moved blow some pepper in Christies face…

  34. 1987 Condo says:

    #24..bought a cordless blower just for this purpose (and leaves too)

  35. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Commercial grade blower will def blow an inch of wet snow. If it’s light and fluffy, doesn’t matter how much, a good commercial blower will take care of it.

    Comrade Nom Deplume and His Amazing Trick Back says:
    January 22, 2016 at 10:55 am
    I think that if it starts out light and fluffy, I will use a leaf blower to keep things clear until it starts to accumulate. Easier to walk and point than to push. Anyone else try this before?

  36. D-FENS says:

    I have a shovel, a 7 year old son, and a cup of hot cocoa. That should keep the snow clear.

  37. ding-ding-ding! We have a winner.

    I’m not impressed that a cubicle rat here can bang out $175k if the house he lives in is my famous Chatham Section 8 and he has no savings. My argument is that one would be better off earning $105k somewhere else living in a better abode and having $10k left over annually.

    Does no good to have twice the income with three times the expense.

  38. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Still gets to live in Chatham. Not many people get to experience that type of life.

    The Original NJ ExPat says:
    January 22, 2016 at 11:34 am
    ding-ding-ding! We have a winner.

    I’m not impressed that a cubicle rat here can bang out $175k if the house he lives in is my famous Chatham Section 8 and he has no savings. My argument is that one would be better off earning $105k somewhere else living in a better abode and having $10k left over annually.

    Does no good to have twice the income with three times the expense.

  39. [40] Chatham, MA is a hell of a lot nicer.

  40. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    “Still gets to live in Chatham. Not many people get to experience that type of life.”

    It all depends on what you value.

    When I was living in Clifton, making 19K a year, I liked my life just as much as then as I do now. Maybe more actually. I shared a house with four other guys. We had a pool table in the living room. There was always weed to be smoked. Played hockey all the time. A club opened up across the street which was great for hook ups. The train was a block away. The punk rock bagel shop was down the road as well as the Lobster Barn where you could get great fresh seafood cheap. And my neighbors, mostly a mix of blue collar and nurse types, were all really cool and really supportive. We used to barter tons of services. I was known for making fake rail passes. That was the life.

  41. D-FENS says:

    Where is JJ? Right about now I would expect a joke or a tall tale about being blown on a snow day.

  42. grim says:

    Don’t overlook the fact that NJ has among the best economic and income mobility across the entire county. We are at least among the top 3 when it comes to income mobility.

    What that means? There is opportunity to move up here, that doesn’t exist elsewhere.

    Poo poo that all you like, but it’s material. You can come to the NY Metro area with little in the way of wealth, and become very, very wealthy. Those same opportunities don’t exist elsewhere.

    That said, the opportunity to move downward exists just the same, and is significant, which explains some of the outward migration.

  43. grim says:

    A kid born in the bottom fifth of income in the NY metro has a nearly 10% chance of moving into the top fifth of income. That’s HUGE. That’s a 1 in 10 rags to riches story.

  44. grim says:

    45 – Should involve a niece of Gotti and a skiing down a pile of cocaine.

  45. 1987 Condo says:

    Storm picks up speed….Snowfall starts in S. Jersey by 4 pm today, 10 pm in N Jersey

  46. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    Can we add to the storyline the niece’s confusion about wanting to make out in a gondola and not expecting that to equate to a chairlift and then getting frost bite on his pecker?

  47. D-FENS says:

    Irrational milk, bread and egg hoarders will be shot on site.

  48. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    The meteorologist for the NY department of Sanitation is calling for 8-14″ for the city. That’s kind of where I am at.

  49. Ragnar says:

    3, Grim,
    So true, the “popular” books on finance are generally terrible.
    True also that the opportunity cost of a genuinely skilled investor is such that it’s difficult to set aside a time to write books.
    Now that I’ve been in the business for 25 years and proven my skills, and do more on the managing side, I’m thinking about writing a book. But the first several editions are likely to be kept entirely internal to my organization. Why should I allow my insights into investing help my firm’s competitors, when I could instead use it to boost the success of people working for me?

    Thus one can infer that most books from investment professionals are stealth marketing exercises.

    Victor Neiderhoffer is a smart and interesting guy. He’s published two books, and he’s blown up his hedge fund twice.
    Nissim Taleb has written a bunch of books and is widely revered as a wise man, but from what I’ve heard, his hedge fund was a total dud.

  50. Essex says:

    44. Living in Chatham? Seems like a stuffy place. Clifton sounds better for someone w/out kids.

  51. 1987 Condo says:

    Our town is picking up Saturday garbage tonight. Pretty smart, clear it off befor snow plowing Saturday

  52. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    It appears to me that mainly poor performing hedge fund managers are forced to write investing books. There are a few old successful men who write books as well, but they have nothing but time on their hands now.

  53. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Awesome! You did it right!

    Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:
    January 22, 2016 at 11:45 am
    “Still gets to live in Chatham. Not many people get to experience that type of life.”

    It all depends on what you value.

    When I was living in Clifton, making 19K a year, I liked my life just as much as then as I do now. Maybe more actually. I shared a house with four other guys. We had a pool table in the living room. There was always weed to be smoked. Played hockey all the time. A club opened up across the street which was great for hook ups. The train was a block away. The punk rock bagel shop was down the road as well as the Lobster Barn where you could get great fresh seafood cheap. And my neighbors, mostly a mix of blue collar and nurse types, were all really cool and really supportive. We used to barter tons of services. I was known for making fake rail passes. That was the life.

  54. D-FENS says:

    We lost one JJ and gained a pumpkin. Depressing.

  55. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    I bet we see JJ again

  56. Leave No Billionaire Behind (the good one) says:

    yet, small govt pricks are pretty much in favor of having the govt control women

    @BarackObama

    “The government should not intrude on private decisions made between a woman and her doctor.” —President Obama #Roe43

  57. Leave No Billionaire Behind (the good one) says:

    you would had long ago retired to paradise or become a billionaire if you had any investment skills to write about. delusion and self-aggrandizement remind me of chifi

    Ragnar says:
    January 22, 2016 at 12:19 pm
    3, Grim,
    So true, the “popular” books on finance are generally terrible.
    True also that the opportunity cost of a genuinely skilled investor is such that it’s difficult to set aside a time to write books.

    Now that I’ve been in the business for 25 years and proven my skills, and do more on the managing side, I’m thinking about writing a book. But the first several editions are likely to be kept entirely internal to my organization. Why should I allow my insights into investing help my firm’s competitors, when I could instead use it to boost the success of people working for me?

  58. D-FENS says:

    But on the other hand, gun violence is a public health issue to be handled by the cdc and doctors should ask people if they own firearms and report it to the government.

  59. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    Anon…who you voting for?

  60. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Come on, who doesn’t enjoy a pumpkin wage inflation post!

    D-FENS says:
    January 22, 2016 at 12:47 pm
    We lost one JJ and gained a pumpkin. Depressing.

  61. The Great Pumpkin says:

    That’s the bottom line. No coincidence that the high cost/high tax areas are some of the most densely populated areas of our country, while the low tax/low cost areas are some of the least populated areas of our country.

    grim says:
    January 22, 2016 at 11:52 am
    Don’t overlook the fact that NJ has among the best economic and income mobility across the entire county. We are at least among the top 3 when it comes to income mobility.

    What that means? There is opportunity to move up here, that doesn’t exist elsewhere.

    Poo poo that all you like, but it’s material. You can come to the NY Metro area with little in the way of wealth, and become very, very wealthy. Those same opportunities don’t exist elsewhere.

    That said, the opportunity to move downward exists just the same, and is significant, which explains some of the outward migration.

  62. Essex says:

    65. Both points are utter and complete bulldung.

  63. leftwing says:

    First, grim, may agree with the upward mobility opportunity however for this area it would need to be closer to attaining the one percent to entice (worse odds obviously). Even at the top 5% here (household income of $250k and change) one can be ‘challenged’ in the ‘right’ town with a family of four.

    Having said that…..oh boy…..here goes, have at it:

    http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/15/business/one-percent-map.html

    I keep the print edition which on the map has the one percent level amount highlighted in every geography. Bring it out every so often for serious discussions with the boys.

    IIRC the highest 1% threshold was Greenwich in the high $900s, and the lowest was outside Rochester a hair over $100k and change.

    Enjoy!

  64. leftwing says:

    And pumps, to bring the picture into clearer focus for you…..

    Am I better to be in the top five percent of earners in Wilmington DE or Nashua NH ($202k pre-tax) or in NNJ ($262k pre-tax).

    Don’t forget that at that level NJ’s effective tax rate is 5.6%, meaning $14k off the top when compared to these two no tax states.

    Run the same numbers elsewhere. NNJ ($262k) or Raleigh ($204k).

  65. leftwing says:

    And grim, the ten percent threshold for NNJ is in the $190k range.

    If I’m in the lower echelons and have only a 1 in 10 chance of attaining $190k household income with the expense base in NJ, I’m packing my bags and not even trying.

    You come to NNJ to suck off the financial teet of NYC and hit big numbers, then take the experience and hopefully a decent portion of the comp and GTFO.

  66. leftwing says:

    Last post, sorry.

    I remember way back when, I was considering moving jobs and was looking at the salary of a VP (next level up) of $75k.

    My dad was floored when discussing the job change I said almost offhandedly that as a corporate job title I could carry that back to my hometown. He though I was batsh1t crazy for not moving back then, in my 20s, right around 1990. “You could live really well”. We were still four people crammed into an UWS two bedroom.

    I explained to him although that may be the case, I was going to hang around and jack up the comp a bit more, so I could ideally step out at a bigger level.

    Get in, get 1%, or get out.

  67. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    Lead water can’t be that bad to drink. Flint Michigan, here comes the Libtard!

  68. Libturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    For the record…I’m erring on the side of caution and I would not be surprised if we end up nearing to the top of my original ranges. Pretty sure this storm is not going to bust like Juno did. Trend is further and further northward and faster.

  69. Essex says:

    67-70. Exactly.

  70. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Oh it is? Where do the immigrants go and why? Why are these areas so densely populated if they are so high cost? Wouldn’t everyone just move to the cheaper areas if they were better off? Guess what, they will never get an opportunity in small town america. Those areas are worse than the nj government when it comes to nepotism. If you do make money, it’s because your family has been there for generations and you have the area locked down. I’ll take my chances of making money in the high cost areas of our country as opposed to any low cost area any day of the week.

    Essex says:
    January 22, 2016 at 2:41 pm
    65. Both points are utter and complete bulldung.

  71. Essex says:

    I think where pumpkin’s argument teeters a bit is assuming that you have skills that are transferable you would be much better served living in some of the secondary states and not near Gotham. If you make your money from NYC then you would be more likely to live in NY State. This is where NJ confounds me a bit, it is very spotty and inconsistent as a ‘place’ it’s neighborhoods seem to lack sidewalks, the zoning is all over the place and it’s just a bit of a mess. I think a lot of people end up here….and kind of settle for all of the maladies. Bad roads and Bad politics.

  72. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Sf area vs Wyoming area…..which market will you go into to make money? Why? Remember sf area makes jersey look cheap.

  73. [67] I like that map, but I’m surprised my adopted town (Boston) ranks exactly the same as Bergen County and other NYC areas. Price-wise it feels a lot cheaper up here (not store-bought stuff, but RE tax, state tax, etc. and the services are superior up here, and the schools are great too) I always figured that the salaries were not quite as high, because they didn’t need to be. Also, all good jobs up here start at 3 weeks vacation, which just absolutely floored me when I first moved up here in 1997. I never heard of anyplace in NJ/NY where you started with more than two weeks or could even get to 3 weeks without putting in 5-8 years. I had a job here that started at 4 weeks vacation!

  74. The Great Pumpkin says:

    That’s really cool. Thanks. I’m top 8% for bergen/passaic and almost top 2% for most of America. I’m top 11% in sf.

    Do you see what this map shows you. It shows you where the markets are. Middle America has entire states counted as markets. Our tiny state has how many markets? Come on man, the northeast and cali is where the money is. If you want to make something from nothing, you have to go to these locations.

    I’m living proof, that you can make something from nothing in this area.

    leftwing says:
    January 22, 2016 at 2:57 pm
    First, grim, may agree with the upward mobility opportunity however for this area it would need to be closer to attaining the one percent to entice (worse odds obviously). Even at the top 5% here (household income of $250k and change) one can be ‘challenged’ in the ‘right’ town with a family of four.

    Having said that…..oh boy…..here goes, have at it:

    http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/15/business/one-percent-map.html

    I keep the print edition which on the map has the one percent level amount highlighted in every geography. Bring it out every so often for serious discussions with the boys.

    IIRC the highest 1% threshold was Greenwich in the high $900s, and the lowest was outside Rochester a hair over $100k and change.

    Enjoy!

  75. I think where pumpkin’s argument teeters a bit is … every first sentence of every single post?

  76. Essex says:

    76. If I am a nurse, a CPA, and Doctor in some specialties. I would be in Wyoming.

    WHY?? Because SF is a place that people making $500k a year have trouble affording.

  77. Essex says:

    79. He’s prolific.

  78. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Fair enough, but how many nurses does Wyoming need? How many CPA’s are needed? Doctors will be needed no matter what. The competition for CPA’s and nurses is probably pretty tight, prob better off going with the areas with larger populations.

    Essex says:
    January 22, 2016 at 4:42 pm
    76. If I am a nurse, a CPA, and Doctor in some specialties. I would be in Wyoming.

    WHY?? Because SF is a place that people making $500k a year have trouble affording.

  79. The Great Pumpkin says:

    82- I’m sure the nurses in the sf area make even more, but this is for state avgs.

    Wyoming$61,480

    California$96,980

    http://nursinglicensemap.com/nurse-salary/

  80. At my current job everyone started at 3 weeks vacation PLUS 5 sick days plus 2 floating holidays. Then within a year or 18 months after we were acquired they cut all new hires to two weeks vacation to start (and they pay more for benefits). Our corp headquarters are in bum-fcuk PA where they can get away with offering two weeks vacation because just having any kind of steady work is great out there, so they think they can impose that standard here. It’s not working at all. So we have this awful have/have-not system between two classes of employees and new employees don’t know it until they start. The two weeks vacation instead of three is a huge deal-breaker up here and it keeps us from hiring the quality of employees we used to hire.
    So bringing this back around, there are lifestyle choices and norms. If I stayed in NJ I’d have been fine to start every new job with two weeks vacation, because I never new it could be any different, but now I’m used to 4+, so there’s no going back. I guess that’s why I don’t hear much of anybody relocating from Boston to NY. I knew of one guy, he bought my wife’s childhood home in Glen Rock for $600K or so (which he downsized from an $800K home up here). Typical wife plus two kids whitbread family. He had 2 different jobs in Manhattan and bailed for Florida after only 1 year in NJ. The house sold quickly for $590K or $595K.

  81. NJT says:

    #34 [CND]

    “I think that if it starts out light and fluffy, I will use a leaf blower to keep things clear until it starts to accumulate. Easier to walk and point than to push. Anyone else try this before?”.

    I have a 10HP ‘Little Wonder’ leaf blower (on wheels but it so easy to push it feels like it’s floating). For powder or most types of snow under 6″ it works great.

  82. Doing some fact-checking. I had it wrong, the guy stayed in Glen Rock for 2.5 years, bought the house 7/12 for $605K, sold 2/15 for $580K after listing it for $599K 10/14. I guess he wanted out from NJ fast;-)

  83. leftwing says:

    78. Pumps:

    “I’m living proof, that you can make something from nothing in this area.”

    LOLOLOL.

    Couldn’t have said it better myself. At least we agree on something.

    Oh, my ribs still hurt from laughing.

  84. 3b says:

    #40 experience the life of living in Chatham? What exactly are they experiencing that others don’t? They get up every morning brush their teeth put their pants on one leg at a time go to school, go to work etc. Are you really that shallow and so easily impressed?

  85. 3b says:

    #15 pumps transitioning to what? Did you see the sector s where jobs were created? Do any of those sectors look new to you??

  86. Libturd at home says:

    Take those 2 salaries. Now compare a 2 bedroom apartment rent in SF and Wyoming.

    At the end of the year, I bet that nurse in Wyoming ends up significantly wealthier. And with better ski resorts to boot.

    Nice 2 bedroom apartment in Cheyenne. $1,000 a month. 12K per year. You can even park a car for free.

    Same in SF? Nice 2 bedroom apartment $4,000 month or 48K per year. Want to have a car? Make it an even 50K.

    So salary minus rent in WY = 49.5 K
    In SFO = 47.5 K

    Wow…surprisingly close.

  87. Libturd at home says:

    Back of the envelope cost to replace 16 odd sized windows (vinyl/cheap). Anyone have an idea?

  88. 3b says:

    #65 nj used to be a low tax area and still attracked people and business. Justifying high taxes because of the ability to become wealthy here vs other areas is nonsense. We have high taxes because millions are pored into useless cities and millions more into public sector unions.

  89. hughesrep says:

    90

    In 2002 I moved from Indianapolis to NJ. My 1200 sq ft apartment in a nice area of Indy was $600 a month. My 600 sq ft apartment in Belmar was $1200.

    My brother lives outside Columbus, he laughs at our cost of living.

  90. 3b says:

    Pumps you should see how more than a fee immigrants are living in some of the finest towns in Bergen county and I don’t mean that as a positive.

  91. Ben says:

    #40 experience the life of living in Chatham? What exactly are they experiencing that others don’t? They get up every morning brush their teeth put their pants on one leg at a time go to school, go to work etc. Are you really that shallow and so easily impressed?

    You failed to acknowledge that they play tennis and golf there while kids in other towns play basketball.

  92. Juice Box says:

    re# 93 – No DJ’s in Indy.

    I been to Indy they can keep it.

  93. Libturd at home says:

    My oldest sister lived in Indy. Was the first time I ever went to a clean city.

  94. 3b says:

    #95 the kids in other towns will obviously never be as successful because of this deprecation!!

  95. I wonder how many successful professional women have been raised in Bergen County. It might actually be thew worst place to raise a daughter.

  96. BTW, IMO, the best 20-30 minutes you can spend for FREE every day to get a feel for TA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoUyMvdRCn0

  97. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Listen, if all these places are so much better than jersey, why are you guys still living here? Why is the most densely populated state in the country? Why would everyone want to live here if they are getting ripped off by high taxes? Ask yourself these questions. Humans are extremely greedy by nature, there has to be a reason so many people live in this area. I know the answer. I’m trying to show you. It’s all about the paycheck and opportunity. That’s why you willingly choose to live in an area that is much more expensive to live in.

  98. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Yes, but what are your chances of landing this job in Wyoming? How many people per sq mile? Not many jobs available there. Not many opportunities for newbies to that area. Sure, if you are lucky enough to get a good job there, it’s good, but chances are that it will be very difficult to find an opportunity for a good job in Wyoming. Sf, ton of money and people there. Start a biz, finding a job will not be tough. Now finding an affordable place to live will be tough. That’s what happens when you have a ton of people chasing these opportunities, they raise the cost of living.

    This blog likes to focus on logic. Well in terms of economics, if a price is high, it’s in demand. If a price is low, it’s not in demand. So why are some places a lot more expensive than others? It’s the demand of opportunity that comes into play.

    Libturd at home says:
    January 22, 2016 at 5:19 pm
    Take those 2 salaries. Now compare a 2 bedroom apartment rent in SF and Wyoming.

    At the end of the year, I bet that nurse in Wyoming ends up significantly wealthier. And with better ski resorts to boot.

    Nice 2 bedroom apartment in Cheyenne. $1,000 a month. 12K per year. You can even park a car for free.

    Same in SF? Nice 2 bedroom apartment $4,000 month or 48K per year. Want to have a car? Make it an even 50K.

    So salary minus rent in WY = 49.5 K
    In SFO = 47.5 K

    Wow…surprisingly close.

  99. Hughesrep says:

    96

    Agree. I moved.

    Midwest cities get a bad rap though. Chicago is great, Lexington in April is a good time. Cleveland has had its moments, Columbus is solid, Detroit was fun until the early 90’s, Indy sucks.

    Good people though, less a$$holes per capita

  100. Does anybody else notice how Hughesrep sounds perfectly sensible while pumps, as usual, seem late for his PM meds?

  101. Essex says:

    101. One reason. Complete and total denial .

  102. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Figure out a way to get those people in decaying urban areas to pick up and leave our state. I know it’s messed up to say this, but if nj wants to lower it’s taxes, invest in buying bus tickets for these individuals and dropping them off in lower cost states. Hey, you are helping them, right? Giving them a free ride to a place that is much cheaper to live in. Everybody wins. Use the moral aspect to push it, stating that it’s immoral to force these individuals to live in such an expensive state without the skills to get a good job. No one should have to live in such poverty.

    3b says:
    January 22, 2016 at 5:25 pm
    #65 nj used to be a low tax area and still attracked people and business. Justifying high taxes because of the ability to become wealthy here vs other areas is nonsense. We have high taxes because millions are pored into useless cities and millions more into public sector unions.

  103. hahahahahahaha

    I just want to paste this as a placeholder for tomorrow when I fish out some of pumpkinpuss’s previous musings on how we help the poor.

    Figure out a way to get those people in decaying urban areas to pick up and leave our state. I know it’s messed up to say this, but if nj wants to lower it’s taxes, invest in buying bus tickets for these individuals and dropping them off in lower cost states.

  104. Essex says:

    Shaking head……sigh. What good is getting rich if you are literally pumping everything you make back into overpriced and overtaxed real estate…?

  105. The Great Pumpkin says:

    107- See, admit it. The pumpkin brings smiles and laughs. You can totally disagree with me, agree with me, think I’m an idiot, what difference does it make? Pt is love it or hate it, but the Pumpkin brings some entertaining posts to the blog.

    By the way, count me in the top 7% in bergen-passaic now, wife got a 4% raise. Bonus rocked too. Can’t wait to hear mine! Let’s go!! Thank you new jersey!

  106. The Midnight Cowboy Solution. Great.

    Pumps, cities in the Midwest and South actually used to do this every fall. Round up every bum in town, and buy ’em a one-way ticket to Santa Monica. Worked great until courts started enjoining the practice.

    We could always set up- oh, I don’t know- high desert concentration camps for your undesirables, but I think there might be some pushback on that by the courts. Maybe you’ll get your wish if Trump becomes Fuhrer.

    “I know it’s messed up to say this, but if nj wants to lower it’s taxes, invest in buying bus tickets for these individuals and dropping them off in lower cost states.”

  107. sx (108)-

    It’s that cost of carry that gets you every time.

  108. Obviously, we are careening toward another Write Like John day. I think grim needs to throw this out there…one last time, for the good times.

  109. A moment of silence for Booyah Bob now.

  110. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Don’t think like that. Think positive. You will make yourself crazy if you think of it like that. Just tell yourself it is what it is. If you do right in this area, you will certainly leave with a lot money. Yes, if there weren’t so many taxes, you could have made more, but if you do right in this area, and have a two income household, you will come out on top. And that’s all that matters in the end.

    Essex says:
    January 22, 2016 at 9:41 pm
    Shaking head……sigh. What good is getting rich if you are literally pumping everything you make back into overpriced and overtaxed real estate…?

  111. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Damn it, they beat us to the punch. I was always wondering why there are so many bums on the west coast, now I know why.

    Splat What Was He Thinking says:
    January 22, 2016 at 9:46 pm
    The Midnight Cowboy Solution. Great.

    Pumps, cities in the Midwest and South actually used to do this every fall. Round up every bum in town, and buy ‘em a one-way ticket to Santa Monica. Worked great until courts started enjoining the practice.

    We could always set up- oh, I don’t know- high desert concentration camps for your undesirables, but I think there might be some pushback on that by the courts. Maybe you’ll get your wish if Trump becomes Fuhrer.

    “I know it’s messed up to say this, but if nj wants to lower it’s taxes, invest in buying bus tickets for these individuals and dropping them off in lower cost states.”

  112. Pumps, does your mom make you put on a helmet before you leave the house every day?

  113. 3b says:

    #109 I can’t believe this was written by someone who claims to be someone in their thirties. I just can’t believe you would post this. You sound incredibly child like.

  114. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Along with knee pads and elbow pads, can’t have little pumpkin getting hurt.

    Splat What Was He Thinking says:
    January 22, 2016 at 11:14 pm
    Pumps, does your mom make you put on a helmet before you leave the house every day?

  115. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I guess I should dump the great pumpkin for peter pan?

    3b says:
    January 22, 2016 at 11:29 pm
    #109 I can’t believe this was written by someone who claims to be someone in their thirties. I just can’t believe you would post this. You sound incredibly child like.

  116. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Got damn that pancake bs, should have saved the powder and been buying in this downturn. Could have had apple below a 100. Called lock her up and see you in two years. Nice safe easy money.

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