Where Americans are Moving --what's happening in your county?

[dave1949]

It's not just Detroit, it's all of Michigan. Manufacturing is pretty much dead. The manufacturing jobs are still going down, employment is expected to continue declining until 2015. I really don't see any reason for improvement anytime soon. And that 2015 number might be optimistic!!!!!

If enough people leave the state, the unemployment rate goes down, maybe that's how it will stop declining.

For areas like Mich., the situation is very tough in this economy. Where do you move to and how can you sell/buy a house to allow moving?

In the early 80's when the Rustbelt out-migration got rolling, people just went south and southwest and knew they would find a job doing something.
Dave.

 

[300UGUY]

If enough people leave the state, the unemployment rate goes down, maybe that's how it will stop declining.

For areas like Mich., the situation is very tough in this economy. Where do you move to and how can you sell/buy a house to allow moving?

In the early 80's when the Rustbelt out-migration got rolling, people just went south and southwest and knew they would find a job doing something.
Dave.

Our employment issues are only partially related to the 2008 - 2009 recession. Michigan has been losing jobs since 2000. Nearly 1 million prior to 2008. It isn't just autos, it is appliances, office furniture, tool & diemaking, and of course, auto suppliers. We were very manufacturing dependent and after the NAFTA and the China trade deals, our economy just went south. All the way to Mexico or South China!!!

 

[300UGUY]

If enough people leave the state, the unemployment rate goes down, maybe that's how it will stop declining.

For areas like Mich., the situation is very tough in this economy. Where do you move to and how can you sell/buy a house to allow moving?

In the early 80's when the Rustbelt out-migration got rolling, people just went south and southwest and knew they would find a job doing something.
Dave.

I talked to one of our customer's last week. She told us that after getting their tax appraisal, they realized that after paying on a mortgage for 10 years, they had zero equity. House values here are frequently less than $50 per sq foot. That's about 1/3 to 1/2 of the cost to build new. These are less than 10 years old, 50 miles outta Detroit. Building has pretty much stopped. There are subs here with streets paved, steet signs up, but only a couple of house built. Kinda of weird - just a house here and there amonst all the weeds. These house are almost worthless. One of the house's in my neighborhood has been repoed twice - once in 2007, then that guy lost his job, it got repoed again early this year. One of my neighbor's was a CPA for a large insurance co. He lost his job when they moved the accounting to India!! Another was a metallurgist for a car company. After 30 years service, they got rid of his whole department - They send the metal samples Fedex to India, get the results on the net in a couple of days. A Masters degree mettalurgist in India makes about 1/3 of a US employee. It's all about money and cheap labor - at all levels.

 

[keegs]

To the extent autos are a part of the Michigan economy, allot of that industry has relocated to parts of the southern US. I'd add automation is probably the largest factor in the reduced number of manufacturing jobs and not just in the US.

I don't know how places like Cleveland and Detroit will make a come back but my observation is that in circumstances like these, most times they do. NYC in the seventies is another good example. Manufacturing jobs were leaving the city by the tens of thousands, many of them relocating to lower wage southern states. Neighborhoods in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens were devastated by drugs, crime, fire... The city went broke.

Since then many of the worst areas have made a dramatic coming back. Immigrants and young people attracted by low housing costs move back in and begin the process of turning things around. Old rundown neighborhoods become desireable again, real estate values improve and money returns.

In the mean time we can all buy a car made in the rust belt. They're just as good BTW. :thumbsup:

 

[keegs]

NJ isn't growing as fast as other parts of the country. Labor costs are higher here so manufacturing is all but gone. I think the last auto assembly plant left NJ two decades ago. Pharma, telecom, insurance, IT, tourism, healthcare are probably our biggest industries but I'm not 100% on that. State and local governments rely heavily on real estate taxes making ours among the highest in the country. Politicians claim that it's the reason for slow population growth but my guess is it's one of many factors. Home rule is big here giving us more than 560 municipalites and 600 school districts. Pharma and IT attract talent from around the world. Median hh incomes are among the highest in the country.

 

[20 20]

The sad part about a great city losing important jobs, like detroit, is that crime will take it's place.

 

[weldingisfun]

Take a look at Maricopa County, AZ. Now, just imagine what it would look like if illegals could be tracked.

 

[mjarrels]

If cap and trade passes... I'll be a TBN member posting from the Philippines with two empty houses in Va. At least I will have electricty with brown outs. Plus affortable heath care.

mark

 

[keegs]

If cap and trade passes folks will button up their homes and drive more fuel efficient cars.

First hand...the biggest hedge I've found to wild swings in fuel prices is owning a car that gets 35 mpg.

 

[mustangsallysdad]

What's happening where I live? All the city folk are moving into my adjacent rural county and then complaining about the lack of city conveniences...so, here come the strip malls...and up go my taxes.