CNA Job Market

I was in your position last summer! I moved from Seattle and found it so hard to look for a job from there...I am just getting into the nursing field (always wanted to do it, finally made the switch w/my move). I found it easiest to wait until I got here and then look online and go to places to see where they had jobs available. From what I have discovered now living here for 6 months, pretty much everywhere is hiring. Where abouts are you moving to? I know it is harder to get on in a hospital than a skilled nursing facility. I did just find a job at the local hosital by looking online (I start in a couple of weeks!). Don't know if that helps much...feel free to ask if you have any more questions!

The job market in Michigan is in the toilet in general.

I'm taking my CNA class in Jackson, but live in Ann Arbor.

The instructors said that for the first time in a long time the market is flooded with CNAs, making it difficult to find work, but they were talking about the Jackson area. I'm not sure yet what it's like in SE Michigan where I live. I intend to apply at the University of Michigan Hospitals as a Patient Services Assistant, which, as far as I can tell, seems to be their version of a CNA.

Also, before I decided to go to school full time, I'd applied for an office job at St. Joseph Mercy in Ypsilanti and had a phone interview. He said that the entry-level healthcare positions such as CNAs are so competitive that the only way most people can get in is by first working an office job and then moving into the healthcare positions...which is nuts, since you would effectively be taking a paycut and moving into a much more difficult job!

Michigan is a mess. Be prepared. I think if you are aware of it before moving here, your job search will be easier because you'll know the challenges you face and know that if you run into trouble looking it's probably not your fault.

I didn't mean for this post to be so negative!! I have no idea what the situation is like, for example, with nursing homes, assisted living or LTC.

I live in the Monroe area and while there are plenty of jobs for CNAs at the long term care facilities they're all part time. I can't think of any around here that are hiring full time CNAs. At my workplace it's not uncommon to be working one or two days a week as a CNA and the rest of the week somewhere else, like a restaurant. I was extremely lucky to get in a few years ago when they were hiring full time. As for hospitals the one here doesn't hire CNAs very often but a bit north of here Oakwood Hospital always has tons of listings on their website. It's all about location.

I totally agree about the Michigan job market. My husband has been laid off for most of the last three years...he'll manage to pick up a temp job for a couple months at a time but that's it. Unless you can do hard physical labor (which he can't) or have a stack of degrees (which he doesn't) you're pretty much out of luck. And now even having a degree isn't a guarantee...heck that's why I'm a CNA with a bachelor's and two associates'. Ugh sorry for the rant but it's tough here.

My brother lives in Detriot and at one time he almost convinced me to move to Michigan , but thank god I decided not to move out thier. I keep hearing that the economy in Michigan is the deepiest hole when it come to jobs.

I can't speak for the job market in Michigan but I have made the observation over the years that employers tend to devote less of their advertising dollars for CNA versus licensed staff. Also in my neck of the woods, it has been difficult to get CNA jobs for years. Many positions are only part time. Like the licensed nurse jobs, there are a lot of old timers who have had multiple jobs for years who have most of the job market sewn up. You kind of have to wait for one of these people to die before there is an opening. Then the opening will typically go to an inhouse part timer who wants more hours.

I see many jobs for CNA's advertised in our local paper each week. I'm in school right now for an ADN, and MANY of the students work excessive hours as CNA's, both at our hospitals and extended care facilities. Hospice services advertise for home healthcare jobs continually. The long term care organizations pay VERY good wages for reliable, good, flexible, workers. With our economy in the shape it's in, I am amazed at what they pay. I know of no one who is limited in CNA work, to part time status. Just my take on things.

Hi there,
From my experience the CNA job market seems to fluctuate, at times with remarkable speed. Feast or famine! I've worked in a LTC facility for the past almost 16 years. I started as a CNA, went to school for my LPN, then my RN. I now am a certified Train the Trainer and the facility I work for has a training program for new hirees. What I've seen is at times, it that we'll hire new people to cover for summer vacations, CNAs that are graduating from nursing school, etc. usually as a "fill-in" or per diem with no guarantees for hours. In one class of 6 students that I was training, they all were hired for fill-in. By the end of the training course (about 6 wks) every one of them had a position, one of them was even full time PM shift.
I agree, most of the positions seem to be part time, seldom does a full time open up and when it does, seniority rules and someone in house is awarded the position.
I'm in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and I think most of the employment opportunities for CNAs are in long term care facilities. Most of our hospitals in the area only want licensed personnel.

God Bless in your move and job search!