As COVID Pandemic Wears On, Struggling New Yorkers Consider Leaving Due To High Costs: 'I Have To Give Up'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The COVID pandemic has left millions of Americans out of work and looking for a job.
Here in our area, with such a high cost of living, some people are wondering if they should stay local or leave the city to save money.
As CBS2's Kiran Dhillon reports, New York City is the place people from around the world flock to while chasing their dreams.
Dana Calvey did just that when she turned 21.
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"It would be a really good place to build my career there," said Calvey, owner Alexander Technique with Dana Calvey.
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She spent the last 13 years building a business as a neuromuscular therapist. But when the pandemic hit, the 35-year-old's business dropped 75%, making it nearly impossible for her to afford the city.
For the first time ever, Calvey is now considering returning home to Ohio.
"It feels a little bit like I have to give up, a lot," Calvey said. "I have to… I have to give up. And I'm scared that it means that I have to give up a lot of my dreams."
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Calvey's not the only one leaving due to the high cost of living.
Jordan Goodman, a financial expert with MoneyAnswers.com, says thousands have left already. Many, like Calvey, are having a hard time letting go.
"It's not your fault. Don't, don't take it personally, that a pandemic wiped out your employer. Nothing that you did wrong," Goodman said.
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Goodman encourages people to stay hopeful, saying there are still plenty of jobs out there, referencing U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data that found there were 6.6 million jobs available across the country in August.
Goodman says many of those openings require potential employees to prove they can work from home. He encourages anyone looking for a job to learn skills to work remotely, especially since he thinks seasonal jobs leading into the holidays will not be plentiful.
"Restaurants, department stores, stadiums, they're not doing well and they're not gonna be hiring at all this holiday season," Goodman said.
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He says, for now, people might also need to consider taking a job that's out of their field and out of their favorite city, something Dana Calvey is already considering.
"If I'm not in New York, how am I going to rebuild in New York," Calvey said.
She's also started classes to switch careers and become a psychotherapist instead.
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