Is it hard to find a job in la as a low skilled worker?

I keep reading its hard for people to find jobs and then they say "Well I just got a minimum wage job". Does that mean it's hard to get "High paying job" not "Low wage jobs"? I was going to move to LA since the city I live in has no job since we live in a rural area and I don't have any friends to try and help me get in anywhere. I only have experience doing warehouse.

Its hard for jobs paying 20$ an hour and up 4
Its hard for low wage jobs too 2
Other 0
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Comments ( 25 )
  • NeuroNeptunian

    I live in San Diego which is just an hour and a half South of LA. Jobs paying $20 an hour in either city require some sort of skill, education and/or experience.

    My recommendations to you would be to do a fafsa, get into college with a bog waiver (assuming your family is middle class or lower), use the money to maybe get a decent car and spend those two years working on a degree or certification that will qualify you for a better job, I'd recommend you speak to a counselor about it.

    It isn't hard to find a job in security. Many companies like Universal Protection Services and Allied Barton will pay for your guard card. Minimum wage or better but easier to work there and get hours than retail or fast food. Better benefits too. When you turn 21, get a pistol and do Armed Security and make twice as much. LAPD tends to hire frequently as well as Border Patrol and customs. Check USAJobs (can't remember if it is .gov or .org).

    Craigslist can help you find a cheap place to live but cheap in LA is still pretty expensive compared to most areas. Good luck!

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    • So security is easy to find in LA? Since those jobs are impossible to find here without a driver license and two years experience. I really can't do college right now, as I have to also have a job to support where I am living now or ill get kicked out. So I still need a low wage job first. Which I don't have either of. Does that mean there is no other low-wage jobs beside security?

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      • NeuroNeptunian

        I got my security job with no experience but I did have a driver license which is something you should get. I do know people who work security without cars.

        Also, you can go to school full time while working full time. I did that for 3 years.

        There are plenty of other minimum wage jobs available other than security, I'm just telling you how I did it. You can use your Pell grant to get the financial aid and buy aid car. I bought my first one for $1400 and it was a lame as car but it was a good one that got me from a to b.

        I was in similar circumstances to you 6 years ago. That's the experience I'm speaking from. You need to be a bit more resourceful to cut it with what you're hoping to do. You could also look into joining job corps. They will give you room, board and job training and you can get a job that way as well.

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        • wigz

          Heh, I did the same thing...bought a Ford Ranger for $800 with my refund. It's a legit way to get started in life.

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          • NeuroNeptunian

            Yeah when I was 18, I was working and in school and used my Pell grant to get my car. The car opened a lot of doors for me scheduling wise and at least in San Diego, affords me the opportunity to work a good job in a nice area while living in a cheaper area. A lot of employers frown upon hiring someone without a car because it frequently poses scheduling issues, some buses don't run past 2200.

            @OP, LA is a fast paced city where, if you want to succeed, you have to get resourceful, keep an open mind and be willing to wear yourself out from time to time. San Diego is more laid back but still requires the work and effort. You don't just *get*a good paying job here without experience or education and even with experience, you need the education for most jobs. This can be a degree, apprenticeship or certification but it has to be something.

            As it stands, you're unwilling to consider going to school, investing in a vehicle or going for a certification. You are competing against people like me who do all of the above. Either be willing to make some sacrifices or stay where you are because you're no better off here than you are there.

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          • But how do you pay car bills if all you do is school?

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            • wigz

              Car bills? Um, I bought it outright for $800 so no car payment, my parents put me on their insurance for about $25/month and I used the remaining cash from my refund to pay for gas and an oil change. I had lots of money left over. If you're not lucky enough to get on your parent's insurance then big deal, you should still be able to wrangle things with such a huge chunk of cash.

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        • 3 hours of sleep isn't really healthy, though. I don't qualify for job corpse. Job corpse is for needy families. Also why am I going to buy a car with money I should be spending on school?

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          • NeuroNeptunian

            Lol dude. You really need to at least just look up what being a full time student in college can entail. I worked 40 hours and took night classes and still had plenty of time to sleep. Studying isn't exactly torturous at the community college level.

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          • wigz

            If you are poor and live in a rural area then you probably qualify. Have you actually checked? And it's corps, not corpse. BIG differrence. A corpse is a dead body...

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            • Checked what? Job corpse? Yes, that how I know I DONT QUALIFY. Family makes too much money.

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      • wigz

        Um, financial aid will cover your basic living expenses even if you live off-campus. If you/your family already live close enough to the college and you plan on commuting they literally just give you the money to stay where you are, equivalent to room and board on campus.

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        • NeuroNeptunian

          Eh, here in California not so much. Financial aid (Federal and state) will only give you a maximum allotment of 5k a year for two semesters of being a full time student.

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          • wigz

            Really? Room and board on campus costs more than that, I'm sure...it did when I went to a small state school over 15 years ago. Since I stayed off campus, they just approved me for the max room&board and cut me a check for the overage. I don't remember the exact amount but it was roughly 6k, given half one semester and half the second.

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            • NeuroNeptunian

              FAFSA doesn't pay room and board, unfortunately. The maximum award over two semesters (one full year) is just under 6k.

              If FAFSA even put a dent into the cost of room and board, Sanders would not have been so popular among college students.

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          • Do they really do that anywhere? Believing that financial aid gives you that much money automatically sounds delusional. A lot of people have problems staying in college since they are always competing for more scholarship money.

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            • wigz

              It's not delusional, it's simple really...colleges have a set rate for the cost of your dorm room and meal plan. If you don't live on campus, you still have to pay rent and eat so they still consider your expenses for that and you will get grant or loan money paid to you to cover those expenses, equal to what the college charges for room and board.

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            • wigz

              Scholarships are not FAFSA. FAFSA is government grants and loans.

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