How is the job market in California right now (2012)?

In a nutshell, the Bay Area job market has been hideous since the economic downturn of 2008. I know of experienced nurses who have been hunting for jobs in that area for more than one year with no luck. It's not about what you know. Rather, it is all about who you know.

South California is also bad, even for experienced nurses. If at all possible, don't move to CA without a job offer in hand because you really might be looking for months, possibly more than a year, before you land something.

Pitiful. Oh, sure there's some people that are able to land jobs.... but compared to the unemployed new grads (and experienced nurses) that don't have jobs... Blah.

Good luck on your job hunt!

This describes the market in california ---->

Yeah stay away from CA unless your cool with living on the beach. Actually on the beach not in a beach house.

Sounds frustrating. :-( my husband will be starting a new job in LA next year, and I've only done a bit of preliminary research. However, several hospitals in SoCal seem to be advertising positions for my field on their careers website. Because of that, I just assumed there were positions available, and since I have experience, certs, and am willing to work nights I wouldn't have much trouble. But I guess from the sounds of it there are plenty of others who thought the same thing. I recently met a MHNP who said she'd never move to CA for several reasons. Bummer

People are crazier out here thats why they call it LALA Land so I don't blame a MHNP not wanting to come here though to be honest I don't know where they hire MHNP round here.

If you have a decent amount of experience and certs then you should be ok as it only seems to be a glut on the less experienced end. 9 months from the OP isn't enough to be competitive.

That is exactly part of her point. Currently she works under her own license and can run her practice as she pleases, and she said in CA the nurse practice act doesn't allow MHNPs to be free agents like that. So she'd have to work with a physician which is an unlikely prospect and physicians these days seem to fear the 'competition.' My mother, in small-town Minnesota, said that the popular midwives in town were recently 'run out' by the obstetricians. Seems like no place is safe, huh?

Thank you for your insight. I have 4 years of experience (5, by the time we move), RNC, NRP, ACLS. The job market out east is tough for new grads too. I'm so grateful I didn't graduate even a year later, who knows how things would have turned out.

go work for davita. they will hire you no matter what your exp, because they are gonna have to retrain you for dialysis anyway. i know it can be a crap place to work, but you will have a job, 401k, benefits, and only have to work 3 days a wk, and can always move up to FA or whatever you wanna do. good luck