ND must have the best economy in the U.S (2009, loans)

[Minneapolis Guy]

How much is the low unemployment influenced by the people that are leaving the state? I know of a lot of white collar professionals from North Dakota now working in Minneapolis due to the lack of opportunities in North Dakota. I can't tell you how many actually tried to find a job upon graduating college, but I would imagine at least some of them tried. I'm sure some left without even trying too.

[Roloff1976]

Originally Posted by Minneapolis Guy

How much is the low unemployment influenced by the people that are leaving the state? I know of a lot of white collar professionals from North Dakota now working in Minneapolis due to the lack of opportunities in North Dakota. I can't tell you how many actually tried to find a job upon graduating college, but I would imagine at least some of them tried. I'm sure some left without even trying too.

Most of North Dakota's economic growth is actually coming from the Western part of the state. Williston has the lowest unemployement rate of the larger towns in ND...sitting at around 2.5%...yet their Labor Force continues to grow each month (nearly 5,000 since the last census in 2000, and nearly 1,600 since last year at this time)

Labor Force: Williston, ND Micropolitan Statistical Area, North Dakota; NSA

Williston(Williams county) actually surpassed Minot and Grand Forks with taxable sales this last quarter. (these towns/counties are 3 to 5 times larger than Williston)

http://www.nd.gov/tax/salesanduse/pu...tat-report.pdf

... these people are coming into the state (or at least into the Williston area)...not moving out ... the same holds true for towns like Dickinson and Minot...as well as the smaller oil towns out in the western part of the state. North Dakota's economy does not just buzzzzz exclusively because of towns like Fargo or Grand Forks anymore... the majority of surplus money the state has acquired, and a lot of the new jobs and low unemployment are from the oil distraction sector coming out of western North Dakota ...not white collar jobs in Bismarck, Fargo and Grand Forks. I am not dissing the larger towns from the east...I'm just suggesting things are a little more active out west vs. east this time around. But of course, this could all change at a drop of the hat. However, even with the downturn in oil prices this past year, the economies continued to grow in western North Dakota...and now oil prices are rebounding to more realistic prices (in the 60-70 dollar range)...this will only further to boost the western part of North Dakota's economy. Meaning even more high paying oilfield (not white collar) jobs.

[Reziac]

The emphasis on growth always bothers me. Growth for its own sake equals inflation, and eventually begets a boom-and-bust cycle that leaves you worse off than you started.

I'd say a lot of why ND is doing well over the long haul isn't due to growth, but rather to relative stability. Things don't change much, and growth is only needed to absorb ND's own children, not an influx of people and industry from outside the state.

[fourwinds]

Originally Posted by Reziac

The emphasis on growth always bothers me. Growth for its own sake equals inflation, and eventually begets a boom-and-bust cycle that leaves you worse off than you started.

I'd say a lot of why ND is doing well over the long haul isn't due to growth, but rather to relative stability. Things don't change much, and growth is only needed to absorb ND's own children, not an influx of people and industry from outside the state.

Growth is needed for a number of reasons. First, in the 1980's and 1990's, North Dakota's economy underperformed badly compared to the rest of the country: the rural areas of the state were devastated. Only in this decade, has ND's standard of living caught back up. Second, because so many children go out and seek opportunities that are not in the state (and ND always has an excess of edcuated college grads), for "stability" to occur, jobs have to be available for outsiders that want to stay.

[Highpointer]

It appears to me, based on the information that I am reading, that I would strongly consider a move to North Dakota. Currently I am living in Tempe, AZ, and I am working at a telemarketing job that I despise where the pay is very low. I am working at this job despite the fact that I have an MBA, a master's degree in engineering, and undergraduate degree in computer science, and another master's degree. Thus, I am highly educated and I am not working at a job that makes the best use of my education, aptitude, and interests.

Therefore, can one advise me on how I can secure a job in North Dakota?

[acfreema]

find a job before you come here. do a little looking on here and you will see that north dakota consistently under-employs its best people.

[Cain]

Give ND Job Search a look. I have seen a variety of computer science jobs out there, including a few government jobs. The main thing to keep in mind is that you are most likely not going to be paid like others in the same field are in other states. If you were in the same field, I would say plan on a paycut. But, I would also say that after I took my cut to move here from out east, I actually can afford more things, have a better quality of life, etc.

[carp killer]

If you go to small towns be prepared for xenophobia and being considered an "outsider" for at least thirty years. I've also noticed in the smaller towns with the good government jobs there is a bit of nepotism going on. So just because you are the most outstanding candidate for a job and are way higher in qualifications, blood matters most. That's just the way it is in the smaller towns.

[fourwinds]

Originally Posted by Highpointer

It appears to me, based on the information that I am reading, that I would strongly consider a move to North Dakota. Currently I am living in Tempe, AZ, and I am working at a telemarketing job that I despise where the pay is very low. I am working at this job despite the fact that I have an MBA, a master's degree in engineering, and undergraduate degree in computer science, and another master's degree. Thus, I am highly educated and I am not working at a job that makes the best use of my education, aptitude, and interests.

Therefore, can one advise me on how I can secure a job in North Dakota?

Perhaps try here:

UNDEERC openings

[Boompa]

Originally Posted by Jay F

I say that for two reasons..

1.North Dakota is one of only two states (Texas being the other) that has a balanced budget.

2.North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the country.

But would you want to live there?
Why is the population going down?