Duluth's job market is traditionally pretty tough, there is no doubt about that. It is one of those things (along with the winter) that keeps our population in check.

Having said that, there are a fair number of medical jobs here. St. Luke's, SMDC (now Essentia), are the biggest employers, but there are others, including outlets in Superior, Cloquet, Two Harbors... etc. 

I won't say it'd be easy, there are a few nursing programs in the area and they are always full, so there is a steady flux of new blood into the system, but with luck you should be able to find something.

Jobs are possible to find -- blue collar jobs more likely on the Iron Range. But, very generally speaking, if you want one, you can find one. But it might not be the right one until you are here for a while and make contacts.

A lot of local businesses don't post newspaper ads anymore, and instead just do their hiring via their websites.

Blue collar is tough. There is work around, but be willing to work crazy hours. Save your money for the slow winter months, as hours can get cut and heating bills can soar.

With a medical background you should be able to find work with more ease than you otherwise would.  I agree with Tomasz, good jobs here are hard to find and this is the kind of workforce that holds on to their job (you'd think more employers would look at this and locate here).  

If you are coming from a metro area be prepared to be offered less than you are making currently.  It takes a commitment to make a go of it here but it is a commitment that is well worth it. You won't find a city anywhere else that gives you the beauty that you have here, the outdoor opportunities for recreation and there is a growing and vibrant arts/music scene here as well.  

I hope you make the decision to come to Duluth.  We need more people who say 'I love Duluth but...' to make the commitment and move to the place they love.

The gist is that Duluth is a great place to live but be prepared to make sacrifices professionally to be there.

Don't mind Tomasz, he's got a great perspective, he left.  

I've thought about it maybe 1,000 plus times but so far I have not had to.  

If you are against $10/hr warehouse jobs and crappy shifts as an LPN working in a nursing home it's true you probably shouldn't come because that is where you are both likely to start.  

But still ... as an almost lifelong Duluthian I welcome you.  We need people here who love this place.  Love (certainly not money) is what makes this town.

My dearest friends live in the TC or Chicago and nearly all hate where they're living. There's a difference between making a living and living- and everybody's got their own take on both. As a musician, I have to tour out-of-state to make my money, but I love knowing that the drive back home means Duluth.

Straight out of The Duluth Quarterly (magazine published by the city) is a mention that Duluth was 12th out of about 400 metro regions for expected job growth according to some nerdy economists. Rochester is even higher, so that might be a good bet for health careers, but the setting isn't as great and the culture isn't as ... ah ... unique. 

Richard Florida: Where the Jobs Will Be

I'd like to dedicate this trailer to all Duluthians

We came to the Twin Ports a little over two years ago for a job. That position has since evaporated and now we own a house and are struggling to find steady work. 
I don't mean to be a downer, I don't think this is what you wanted to hear, but really I wouldn't come without a job in hand... and a back-up plan.

I think skills and experience still work for landing a job in the right field. It is hard to judge the job market based on comments like "sucks balls" without knowing what kind of specific jobs they are talking about. If they are nurses and warehouse workers, give them credence. But if they showed up with a bachelors degree in graphic design, keep looking for facts as opposed to opinions which aren't relevant to your own situation.

Hmmm. Lot's of opportunity in the medical field and government sectors- they are Duluth's biggest employers. Think about it- getting a gov job that allows 8-4 hours with better than private pay, benefits, etc. All pretty sweet. Medical field is a bit tougher. You'll probably be relegated to working for the Country owned nursing home until something opens up at one of the two monster non-profit hospitals in town. Beyond that, good luck. Lots of local business people are making career changes and going to sell cars at one of  the dozen or so dealerships. Housing isn't cheap here. If you want to live in a crime infested area of town you can probably get by cheap. Lots of the people who write on this blog live in an "artists" co-op called Washington. They offer cheap communal housing and a chance to brush elbows with some of Duluth's, well, whatever. 

The truth is that Duluth/Superior is a wonderful place to live if you can get past the liberal weenies that are trying to make it into a hippy commune for the dumb and dumber. Once you get past that layer, there is a good population that is fighting for sustainable jobs, a robust economy and sound fiscal management of the public coffers. Can't say that it will get better, but based on the recent elections, we're slow-ly getting there!

If you grew up a hillbilly, you might think the housing market was "not cheap." Regardless of how awesome a place might be, there will always be some drooler that insists upon leaving a turd in the pool.

Hahaha. Awesome.

I'll give you this one:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105643/

I've met much better trolls. If you had been better, perhaps you'd have been given this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLEo7H9tqSM

Anyway, thanks for the laughs.  : )

-=P.

Hahaha. again. 

Guess I don't need to respond. You are doing a well enough job making a fool of yourself. Well done!

-=P.

Newspaper? What newspaper? Unfortunately our newspaper has been hi-jacked by the mouth of the right wing... and is in a not-so-slow decay/death... 

Jobs? There are jobs. It may not be the greatest landscape for jobs, but as has been mentioned here before... Duluth is a way of life. 

If you want to SPEND all of your time driving to a house in the suburbs that you can't afford... DON'T move here.

If you want to SHARE your time with your friends and family... well... then perhaps this is a place worth considering? 

I laughed at the non-dreamers as they graduated from college... saying things like... "I really love Duluth, I wish I could find a job here..." 

Typically they muttered this only because everyone else muttered this. 

What is your time worth? How long does it take me to ride the bus 1.5 miles from my home to my work place? How long would the same commute take... even if I were to live within five miles in a different city? Time is worth much more than money. Who can ever say they have enough time? 

And for the non-Duluthian's... where do they go when they vacation? Why not just live here instead...

And what about your husband... well... perhaps there isn't an easy job for him... however... I would bet that with a just a bit of effort and some ingenuity... he'd be able to find enough satisfying work via craigslist... at least... enough to tide him over until the next big thing?

My view... Welcome to Duluth. Welcome home.

Please don't let our resident troll scare you away - he needs to bring his politics into everything and is a very, very, very small minority of the people who live here.

As someone who has chosen to live here, I can honestly say it's worth any effort.  Sure, you probably won't make a huge salary; but you won't have to spend a huge amount to commute, buy food, or find entertainment.  And, really; it's about the people and environment.  This is a great city with so much more to offer than most any other location; especially for average income people.  Most people who live in big metro areas don't attend theater, because they can't afford it.  Never see their local orchestra because tickets are north of $100.00 a seat, and don't often visit great local eateries, because those prices are as crazy.  And, they don't know the Mayor, their city councilors, or their state representatives.  But, around here, the options are unlimited for entertainment, you can be involved in political or civic endeavors, and there are great houses for a lot less than in most other areas of the country.  Our rents are out of line, but buying a house; if you have that luxury, is a good deal.

Claire, I love you!  And I love Duluth!  But I cannot afford to live here.  I love the people of Duluth, the spirit and fierce pride, and I absolutely love seeing that lake every day.  I love how involved the citizens are with what's happening in local government and their neighborhoods.  But the fact of the matter is, your home is where you make it.  There are beautiful parts of other cities too, as well as fantastic citizens and neighbors elsewhere.  I'm sure the OP will be able to find good employment here, and one day make their love affair with this wonderful place come true.  My turn is just about over.

I don't live in Duluth but if I don't visit often I feel empty. I would love to live
there even during the winter. It's a great place, warts and all. Some of the characters give Duluth a lot of character. Always something interesting going on and something to do. Then there is the nature aspect of the area. Andrew's lake volcanoes on his shore is a perfect reason to love Duluth. If you want skiing it's right there. I could stare at the lake all day. Jobs are just jobs, they aren't a life. Duluth is life.

There is a job market in Duluth; as previous bloggers have mentioned, it takes a while to figure out who the movers and shakers are.  I'd highly recommend having a back-up plan ESPECIALLY if you or your husband are planning on seeking employment in a unionized field.  Simply put, when/if the layoffs come: Last in, first out.  Your union won't hesitate to drop the hatchet on you in order to protect their own hide.

@Claire: If a bookstore closed because it couldn't make it financially, why would you want someone to open another one?  Granted, you're a book junkie--I get that.  You want a local shop to frequent.  Clearly you don't understand business: You need to make a PROFIT in order to remain open.  Sadly, your "do what you love" mantra doesn't hold any water unless there's actually a demand for the products and/or services being provided.  Too many college students (especially at UMD) buy this load of crap from their advisors and end up with a worthless degree and an education that has very few practical uses in real life.  And we wonder why students pack up and leave Duluth after walking for graduation: They need to make enough money to pay off their $50k+ in loans.  It's not brain surgery, it's common sense.

Spooman, Northern Lights WAS making a profit. Anita closed her store for many reasons, including her mother's death and the brave new world that's been created b/c of e-books that she could not embrace b/c of what's going on with her personal life. Believe it or not, people are opening bookstores right and left, including a woman I'm in touch with who's moving from NYC to Detroit and opening a bookstore. 

Foolish, you say? I don't think so. I firmly believe if you are smart and creative and willing to work hard, you can succeed in whatever you set your mind to. It's a matter of offering goods or services people want and knowing how to deliver.Spooman, have you ever run your own business? I have. And it was quite profitable. I make less money now, but I have more flexibility. Don't tell me I don't understand business.

 I've always felt this town has too few entrepreneurs and too many people expecting someone else to be their rainmaker. You Spooman are a perfect example of this defeatist attitude.

@Claire: If that bookstore was so profitable, she shouldn't have had a problem finding a buyer.  But alas, you mention that rent was going up......meaning that it wasn't as profitable as you insinuated.  And given your political stances, you clearly don't understand business.  Otherwise you and your hubby wouldn't be protesting against pro-business legislators.  Anyhow......

This town has--or has had--numerous entrepreneurs.  The NIMBYs and environmental terrorists do their best to keep them from doing anything worthwhile in this town.  I currently run my own business, and I'm damn good at it.

As for Ringsred: He's nothing more than a commercial property slumlord.  His buildings are dangerously outdated and a blight on the east end of downtown.  The best thing he could do for all of Duluth is sell off all of his interests to people that will actually restore those historic structures instead of letting them rot.  It figures that you run in the same circles as him.

If he says anything about drinking the Kool Aid, I'm gonna puke.

@RKTTK5

Surburban Chicago is a horrid place to be, so I don't blame you for looking elsewhere. 

I absolutely love Duluth, but I would caution anyone against moving there without fully understanding the implications of leaving your current home. 

First, have you calculated the cost of moving? It's never cheap, and I'm guessing you are not in a career position where someone will pay for your move. Hiring a moving company or (god forbid) renting a moving van is only the tip of the iceberg.

Forget about searching for jobs in the newspaper and on web sites. It's a waste of time. Research companies where you think your want to work, and then research the names of leaders and potential hiring managers (try www.linkedin.com or the company web site). Send a cover letter and resume, which will include your request for an informational interviews. Schedule a few days in Duluth to interview with people in Duluth with the idea that you are not interviewing for a job, but you are making connections now with the possibility of talking at another time. Be aggressive.

Whoa, GFTNC leaving hits pretty close to home.  I don't blame you I have been close many times myself but so far we are making it.  I mean we're still occasionally digging through the couch for change to make it from paycheck to paycheck to make it but we are making it.  I hope you can end up staying, Girl.  

Did anyone mention MN works dot net?  Or Minnesota's Job bank?  Those are good places to find some jobs.  The DNT is simply too expensive for most employers to post jobs on.  Word of Mouth is also key.  Not a bad idea to contact the Chamber of Commerce, DT council, Human Resources Depts at big employers and ... well, PDD to try for some personal connections.  Most jobs I've gotten (and even not gotten) have been due to personal connections and relationships.  But that's actually true everywhere as far as I know.

At risk of feeding a (possible) troll, I will say that I agree with some of the things that have been said about business and entrepreneurship on this thread.  As for Northern Lights I think it was sad to lose that store in this town, but Amazing Alonzo's (for example) was there before NorLights, and it is still there now, they pursue a different business model in a different location.  Then again, another very different business model, Sunhillow Books, unfortunately didn't make it either, though. So whether Duluth is a good place for small business (read JOB/WEALTH CREATION is an open question if you ask me).

Without a single doubt I can say that the reason I have been able to make it financially is due to some supplemental income coming in through micro-business enterprises.  It's a lot of work but it can be done.  A business DOES inherently exist to make money, but social entrepreneurship is a valid practice and it is also valid, as Claire says to "do what you love and the money will follow." Except it might not be A LOT of money.  

Good luck considering your options RKTTK5, you've got a lot to think about and you've given us a lot to think about, too.

Books, a luxury?  I know what you mean Zra but I can't imagine a life without books.

Couldn't agree with you more, Wild Goose. Money does bring happiness to some extent, but I always feel bad for people who hate what they do, but persist because the pay is good. and I always admire people who parlay a really cool idea into a money-making venture. Look at PDD, for example. And I just interviewed someone who left a really great job "with the phone company" years ago and now writes DIY books on how to build stuff in your backyard, like catapults and potato cannons. He told me he's the happiest guy in the world.

Re Sunhillow Books, I didn't go in there very often, being a big NL fan, but it did seem that the lack of walk-by foot traffic might have been a major factor in its demise. Too bad, when it was so close to the hospitals; I don't know if Kate tried to do any promotions at the hospitals, there's a captive audience there. There's a bookstore in Chicago that's doing really well by opening outlets inside hospitals, Macy's, and at O'Hare.

That's a big plus NL had going for it-- walk by foot traffic. In fact, Anita told me that, in summer, most of her customers were tourists, the locals would stay away, but then descend on the store the rest of the year. 

I'm glad that the Bookstore at Fitgers is stepping up to try to fill the gap left by NL's loss, but I do think a bookstore could succeed in Canal Pk, as well, or close enough to CP to get the tourist traffic. There are smaller towns than Duluth that support multiple bookstores.

We had a crazy train once, and the Geek Prom is a perennial favorite, as is the Homegrown Music Festival, too.

After eleven years of romping through the woods, staring at the greatest lake, going to shows, and hanging with fabulous people; I moved from Duluth to Chicago. It was a difficult decision, but it was either stay and keep working three part-time jobs, or move and have one that pays almost twice as much as the three combined. 

I love where I live now; but I think it's a difference between loving a place and being IN LOVE with it. I will always be in love with Duluth; which is why I (and my Yooper-bred boyfriend) will always have eyes peeled to the north for opportunities that will pay the bills.

Miss you, Duluth. Don't change too much until I can come back.

Hell yeah it was! And don't let any of those slackers out in Cali or elsewhere try to snowball ya...*we* started that shit. Right here. Everything else is like lookin' at a xerox.