From Sandy’s wreckage comes opportunity

Hurricane Sandy has been a serious blow to the NYC economy with untold thousands of businesses dark, flooded, and inoperable for the foreseeable future. But despite an estimated $30 to $50 billion in destroyed property and business losses, periods of severe destruction are usually followed by sharp bursts of economic activity. “Money pours in from government and insurers to repair infrastructure. Homes get rebuilt, debris cleared. As a result, the overall economic growth that follows a natural disaster can often outweigh the wealth it destroyed.” All this rebuilding means job creation.

Debris removal and damage assessment are the most immediate needs. As of this morning there were quite a few postings on Craigslist in the jobs and gigs sections. Once the wreckage is cleared there will be a heavy call for every aspect of reconstruction (construction workers, tree trimmers, roofers, brick layers, plumbers, tilers, carpenters, truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, electricians, etc.). Utilities have also taken a huge blow and will need people to help restore gas, electric, phone, and cable services. Also architects, inspectors and estimators for the rebuilding efforts and civil engineers for infrastructure such as subways, tunnels, bridges, roads, etc.

The boardwalks along Rockaway Beach, Coney Island and basically everywhere else have washed away. Marinas up and down the coast of Long Island, NYC and NJ are destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of cars were flooded. There is LOTS of work to be done. This is your chance to turn underemployment into a financial and social opportunity of a lifetime.

More disaster recovery jobs via CareerBuilder, Indeed, Simply Hired. There are also permanent and disaster response positions available at FEMA. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as things settle down and get straightened out.