[Peter B]

The funnier thing is that when you go into these casinos, the vast majority of "guests" have no business being there. Up here at least, the casinos basically cater to white trash, chain smoking, SSI/Unemployment collectors. Basically just sucking money from the weak and uneducated whilst lining the bank accounts of the Native Americans.

Originally Posted by xlabel

What's mind-boggling to me is the new casino scheduled to open next month in Battle Creek had 28,000 applications for 1500 positions in a span of 2 months. That's pretty bad.

[JGatti]

Originally Posted by xlabel

What's mind-boggling to me is the new casino scheduled to open next month in Battle Creek had 28,000 applications for 1500 positions in a span of 2 months. That's pretty bad.

Thats pretty bad. I think I heard Meijer in Gaylord has 2000 app's for 115 jobs or so.

[zthatzmanz28]

OUCH! 15.2 % hurts..

[Swansen]

Originally Posted by JGatti

There no single person to point the finger at. Today's problems are the result of many mistakes by many people and companies and the greed of so many in power it's sick. Obama is still too new to the problem to blame him, and Grandholm......even though I am not a fan I can say this in her defense. When she won the office I used to listen to talk radio....A LOT. Although I can't recall who said it I recall many reports about how big of a mess Engler left her with to fix and they wished her good luck with a chuckle. The Dem's and Republicans of the last 8+ years are just as much to blame as the banks. The auto industry was driven by greed from the bottom to the top. If you take a hard look at so much of what is wrong in this country it will make you puke. When I see athletes making 100+ million dollars to play baseball or hit a golf ball into a little hole it has to make you wonder what direction this country is going to continue on. Can you blame the athlete? No not really, you can blame the owners, the television and the fans that pay the ungodly money to pay these idiots.
My son was watching some rich and famous show today. Here was this single guy, 23 or 24 years old with a 3 millions dollar house. I thought some celebrity and asked who he was. His response " some wallstreet guy" I alomst choked on my egg's. Hey I'm not against people getting what they can, but when the people at the top are still getting theirs by limiting the guy at the bottom then there is a major problem, and this is what I see happening now.
I hate to use my lay off as an example again. But the dumbass who caused the layoff's in my plant is still making his 6 digit income and a bonus that dwarfs 2 years of my income. That's F'd up, and corporate turns their head.

Originally Posted by JGatti

I kind of wonder about the figures thrown around. Only because soooooooo sooooooo many have left. It used to take me 45 minutes to do my bi weekly cliam. Now I'm in and off inside of 15. Not sure if that means anything.

?? i think your talking about unemployment numbers, but they are based on the population when they are taken. Yeah, a lot of people are leaving often, but most or many are still counted... so with that, it basically makes the situation worse.. (high unemployment despite all the people leaving)

Originally Posted by JGatti

Thats pretty bad. I think I heard Meijer in Gaylord has 2000 app's for 115 jobs or so.

No, i completely believe that, there was a job opening at Charter in Bay City. Went up Sunday night, was filled monday morning... Its intense

[michsnowlvr]

Originally Posted by Swansen

..... dude..... what the crap.... SO, being about the 4% that actually has a handle on how poor MI's condition is... i planned on working/saving and moving next summer... but from two weeks ago, it was 13.9... it went up a whole percent in such a short period. DOES NO ONE REALIZE WE HAVEN'T SEEN THESE KINDS OF UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION??? !!!!!!!! WE ARE IN A F'N DEPRESSION, WHAT THE CRAP! WHY DOESN'T ANYONE UNDERSTAND THIS...

sorry for that, but for everything that the media isn't, you would at least think a number like 15% would grab the attention of some one...

I would say the real unemployment is like 20-24% .... only a quarter of the state, no big deal... holy ish, worst part is i just moved out of one place into another place with some friends... guess moving again won't be a big deal at this point.... as going to school isn't a reality as i won't be able to save a dime while doing so... SERIOUSLY! THIS IS SO SURREAL!! ....

Unemployment was not 13.9% two weeks ago. 15.2% is the figure for June, 14.1% for May, 13.9% was in April. Its the highest since 1983, not since the Great Depression.

And yes, the true unemployment is probably higher than the 15%. But that goes for other places too, not just MI. Its getting a little old having people think the grass is greener everywhere else....that is simply not the case.

[MittenDweller82]

While some posts have truth, others are far of the mark. It is true, there is a recession occurring across the country, and even more true Michigan IS an exception to this fact. The recession that began last fall did two pertinent things: it identified the weak markets in the US and buried them. It also uncovered the the markets that were most recession resistant, and had green shoots in their local economies...it is those places that will survive the "adjustment". There is a human element to the "15.2%" number..families that are struggling, people who were once productive citizens now being driven into poverty. Can they be blamed for wanting to find happiness elsewhere in this country? Michigan residents are tired of depression, stigma, and the same glum news and that is the exact reason so many have flocked to locals that are already recovering. I can't deny that my own reasons for leaving Michigan weren't much different: I couldn't stand the sad people, and the constant stream of depression. I wish a good luck to all of those who are unemployed and struggling now...many who have good jobs in Michigan don't realize how incredibly lucky they really are.

[Newtgirl]

I'm relocating to Roanoke (to live with my fiance). Currently I have a job lined up in West Virginia, but it doesn't start until September (I'm a biologist by trade). The job market isn't too great down there, but it's certainly no 15%. At least my boyfriend's got a stable job. Biology's not very stable when the economy sucks.

[bluebird39]

One reason we moved to MI is because I was making the same per hour as my baby sitter once I paid her. I was in the medical field with a Bachelors degree. We couldn't afford to lose my job though where we lived in Oregon. Here we squeak by on DH's salary, and yes, we understand all too well just how fortunate we are to have his salary. Those who ARE working, though, are having to either take big pay cuts, or are having to work very long hours for not much more. DH works 6-7 days a week and we hardly see him, but at least we're still able to afford mortgage and food. Health care is another story. I wish the press would focus on how desperate rural areas in the country are. With so few health care providers, many are now picking and choosing how they get paid. It's criminal, IMO. I know of several who refuse to do any paperwork or take insurance at all! Because they CAN! Many pick and choose their own hours and refuse to take call after hours!

But that's another issue.

Bottom line, get work in a field that can not be outsourced. Anything intellectual, or labor wise that CAN be outsourced WILL if it hasn't already. With the baby boom generation maturing and fewer behind them to pay for retirement and health care, I only see things getting worse.

On the bright side, you can still afford cheap land in Michigan, and grow things on it. There's plenty of water here too. MI will be OK.

I also agree with the fatigue of hearing such gloom and doom here in Michigan, but I guess I'm one of you now.... Once my kids are old enough we hope to move back out West, but selling our house here is going to be difficult. Got to get a job first too..... So here we stay for now. I'd much rather live here than 75% of other places in the US, and of that 25% left, I'm not sure we can afford much of it!

[Coldjensens]

How does health care here compare to what you had in Oregon? We found the health care available in Michigan to be far superior to what was available in California. I am curious whether you also found it better here (although still obviously unsatisfactory).


You may not be able to make a valid comparison if you are out in the boonies here and you were in or near a City in Oregon.

[Indentured Servant]

Originally Posted by MittenDweller82

While some posts have truth, others are far of the mark. It is true, there is a recession occurring across the country, and even more true Michigan IS an exception to this fact. The recession that began last fall did two pertinent things: it identified the weak markets in the US and buried them. It also uncovered the the markets that were most recession resistant, and had green shoots in their local economies...it is those places that will survive the "adjustment". There is a human element to the "15.2%" number..families that are struggling, people who were once productive citizens now being driven into poverty. Can they be blamed for wanting to find happiness elsewhere in this country? Michigan residents are tired of depression, stigma, and the same glum news and that is the exact reason so many have flocked to locals that are already recovering. I can't deny that my own reasons for leaving Michigan weren't much different: I couldn't stand the sad people, and the constant stream of depression. I wish a good luck to all of those who are unemployed and struggling now...many who have good jobs in Michigan don't realize how incredibly lucky they really are.

The equity market has a simple rule of thumb, which it to buy low and sell high. One should think of Michigan, in the long term, as an undervalued stock. Right now the bad economy is lowering wages and lowering asset prices, like homes. Unions are being emasculated. In other words, the cost of doing business and the cost of living is being reduced in the state. Let’s remember that the reason that many companies moved South was due to their cheaper labor cost (right to work states) and lower cost of living. Michigan had trouble competing because it had high labor cost (via Unions) and a high cost of living relative to many Southern States. So the pain Michigan is experiencing now is actually making it more competitive for the future.

It’s also worth noting Michigan’s natural advantage of being surrounded by water. That has always been a historical ( for thousands of years) advantage, to be located near large fresh water supplies. However, abundance and technology allowed humans to move away from such natural areas and populate areas that are natural deserts, which are not really conducive for humanity. However, that era is coming to a scratching halt due to population growth and fresh water supplies not replenishing at a rate to keep up with it (population growth). In other words, it will become unsustainable to maintain desert populations and many areas that are not located by larges sources of Fresh Water. Michigan is sitting pretty in this respect. Moreover, that water creates plenty of recreational activities. The state has a lot of natural beauty and amenities. It’s an undervalued stock that is will boom in the not too distant future…….if America ever pulls out of the mess that it is in.

The Associated Press: Judge rules against Atlanta in regional water wars