lmb20

Hi all,
I am looking for some advice on whether or not to return to Perth in 2019 before the travel period on our PR visa expires. We lived there for 3 years and loved it, but returned due to the downturn. I am a dentist and my husband is a civil engineer, we have tried to investigate jobs from the UK, but everyone just says to get in touch once we are over. So it looks like if we move we will have to take a chance and go over without jobs, which I am obviously unsure about. That worked out well for us when we did it in 2012, but now we have a baby and I am aware the economy is very different.
Have things picked up in the last few years or is the job market still really tough? Are we crazy for considering it? Any advice is appreciated.

Beoz

Perth is back on the way up. I did no business in Perth for a number of years during the downturn and in the last year its come back to the point I have had to hire to service the Perth market. This is all mining and plant related so not sure how that goes with Civil Engineers.

Amazulu

It's on like Donkey Kong in engineering

Still Game

Obviously keep researching and working things out for your family, but I "third" the sentiment above. I have two close friends who are involved in mining recruitment and business development and they are back to being inundated with hire requests.

the troubadour

Well aren't you over the 'boom bust' scenario ? That's basically what WA is . Perth remains expensive, even though there has been a housing downturn. Rents are more affordable. Lots of small business closed over recent times. I don't see a lot of positives outside a possible mining resurgence, but nothing like the previous 'boom', thank goodness.
An Irish neighbour to the back of me, in engineering, left his FIFO position recently due to unfavourable changing conditions, He seems fairly confident of obtaining other employment though. No idea about dentists.

BadgeIsBack

Did you love Perth? You would need to go for the pull, surely? Extraction at a later date might be regrettable.

BadgeIsBack

Noone?

themerlin

Perth is a bit too dependent on mining, it's always boom or bust

lmb20

Thank you everyone for the replies. The dentistry joke wasn't lost on me!
My husband worked Fifo previously, so possibly he could get something doing that again if there are no positions in the city. Lots to consider still, but it's good to hear things seem to be on the up for Perth at the moment at least.

BadgeIsBack

Excellent : hope yet for this site!

Still Game

Good friends of ours (from England, moved to Queensland in 2016) are making the move to Perth next year. I chatted to my friend today (she's involved in senior admin roles, mainly health related but also legal). She has struggled to obtain steady work in Queensland. Event to obtain an interview. They have some distant family in Perth and have visited a few times. They like the look and feel of Perth and floated the idea a few times but have always been worried about employment. My pal contacted four agencies with a view to testing the market. From struggling to find anything in Queensland she's been put forward to for four roles in a space of three weeks. No guarantee of course but she did say all agencies she spoke to said they're getting pretty busy now after a period of being pretty quiet. This, of course, could be nothing however coupled with the positivity my two friends who are senior recruiters in the mining sector are seeing, I have a feeling Perth may be back on the 'up'. Perhaps just hold off buying a house yet!!

the troubadour

There has been 'talk' from vested interests, for example, real estate industry and government of 'green shoots' for must be getting on two years now. Little sign on the ground, although, I know of numerous people that have been restructured out of employment, over past eighteen months, and most have obtained work, just at reduced rates than previously, or/and not secure working placements.
Small business is doing it tough. Four empty shop fronts in Leederville strip, that being a prime inner city locality popular with locals where they go to wine and dine. One of about four prime locations as such in Perth.(metro) High rates and poor turnover being the reasons. (The four places were a very long established indy bookshop, pizzeria, long standing kebab house and long standing clothing store.
Foot traffic is definitely well down on a few years back as well. One bright side, many more places available to rent. Rents have declined. House prices have declined but remain too expensive. One house close to me has been turned in after failing a mortgagee action. Price already $175,000 down on what last owners paid in early 2017. Just little interest.
Tourism has declined in WA as well. How to boost numbers is well on the mind of government and industry. One thing would be reduce prices more. Far too expensive to holiday in WA. Especially when we have cheap destinations in Bali, Malaysia and Thailand close by.

Beoz

To be fair on Leederville, 2 food, 1 bookshop and 1 clothing store going under is not uncommon anywhere in the world.

Books well bye bye, clothing, something you now make a b-line for the shopping centre, and kebabs and pizza, hardly popular dishes these days.

Sounds more like they didn't keep up with the times.

Dorothy

Except that 4 shops on one street is significant for Leederville. There are very few bookshops in Perth and to lose one is significant for those of us who actually read.

the troubadour

Nothing/or not much to do with popularity and everything to do with greed and rents.. The book shop was an icon and well patronised. Book shops demise has been long forecast, but happy to read they are 'holding their own' and increasing sales at least in certain cities.
Well not exactly. The pizzeria, Siena's that is also located in Oxford Street, Leederville, is packed out most nights. Another Leedy icon. Theo's another newer pizzeria, also doing very well. Very popular indeed. The kebab place was there some three decades as well.
But it doesn't stop there. How about tattoos? Hardly yesterday's thing. Open a bit over a year, while still trading 'For Lease' sign up, or two hairdressers that have gone over three years, or a florist, not forgetting the fish tackle store that stood for generations. As the owner told me, only Italian restaurants or cafes survive in today's environment. Obviously not true on either front, but agree in part with the sentiment.
Thing being people are not spending so much due to economy and falling house prices and killer rates. This is hardly confined to Leederville. Perth City and Subiaco in similar boat.