The Great Lakes States Among the Biggest Losers
More People Migrating Out of the Great Lake States Than Moving In
Michigan has the honor of taking the lead of population loss as it had or still has a strong connection to the auto industry. Michigan's downturn started over a decade ago when the auto makers decided it was more advantageous to leave Michigan to go south for cheaper labor and when NAFTA came into effect, to leave the country to hire scab labor. People started to leave Michigan at the time the auto makers left the state to keep their jobs. The auto suppliers were forced to leave the state as well to keep their contract with the auto makers. The suppliers also drew people out of state to keep their jobs.
The stock market bust and the housing crash have moved many more people out of the state of Michigan. With people losing their homes at a record rate, people are moving to find jobs anywhere to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table for their families. Michigan leads the country on unemployment and with no jobs to be found people are leaving. Even graduating college students from the state leave to go elsewhere to find employment.
Illinois and Ohio have been losing their population due to the same reasons with the auto industry losses. Illinois and Ohio do not have as strong of an economy based on the auto industry, but strong enough to make an impact. The whole Great Lakes region has always had strong ties to the auto industry. The saying in Michigan is "What happens in Detroit happens to the rest of the country". Nothing is more evident than the population losses in the states surrounding the Great Lakes.
As long as the auto industry keeps cutting jobs in Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio, the population is going to continue to leave. Migration from the Great Lakes to more job opportunities in other states is the same reason people originally fled to the Great Lakes region. There really seems to be no quick fix for these states, even as they try to shift from a production economy to a service base economy.
Published by Denise Nuttall
Denise Nuttall has been an active freelance writer and online business entrepreneur since 2006. Denise has also been very active in citizen journalism for well over a year and owns her very own hyper-local b... View profile
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4 Comments
Post a CommentI know many that are struggling in hopes that things will turn around so that they do not have to move away. West Michigan is one of the best places to live. Just ask my kids who went snowshoeing today along the lake shore trails.
Don't we know it, Denise. Look at Grand Haven alone and all the industry that has moved away.
The data I received my info showed Florida as #7 in the country for people migrating out. California is #1 with New York #2.
Good article.
Although the most recent data shows some changes in how many people are moving ... fewer leaving the northeast and midwest, and more leaving the sun belt, reversing the trend.