The economy in Rhode Island (2010, crime, credit)

[GermanSpy]

Yes, indeed, I have quite a few friends who're considering moving to NC or NYC. There are a few who left already, two families moved to the Westcoast, one to California, one to Seattle. And those aren't imaginary friends, either. But I guess as long as we've got heavy traffic it can't be that bad with the population decline.

[Garris]

Originally Posted by GermanSpy

Yes, indeed, I have quite a few friends who're considering moving to NC or NYC. There are a few who left already, two families moved to the Westcoast, one to California, one to Seattle. And those aren't imaginary friends, either. But I guess as long as we've got heavy traffic it can't be that bad with the population decline.

I know many people either planning their departure (house/job hunting elsewhere, putting their house on the market, etc) or considering doing do. It's all about the quantity and quality of jobs in the workforce...

The sad thing is that all of these people enjoy living here a lot. RI and Providence have so much going for it. If our government could just get their act together and restructure some elements to make the state far more business friendly, things could turn around.

- Garris

[Hollytree]

Garris, Thanks for your comments and the link to the urbanism blog- looks like a great website.

(Jef Nickerson's photo of the new RISD art museum addition just reminded me though of how much I despise that horrible bldg and how it so thoroughly ruins that beautiful historical street! )

[mikey2]

Make no mistake...this is a morbid recession/depression that effects the whole country, not just R.I.

Having said that, Rhode Island tends to be the first in and last out and gets hit harder than many other parts of the country.

Several of my coworkers, who are well qualified licensed clinical therapists, have been looking for work for nearly 3 years now and have found nothing. I know they've expanded their search to Mass. with no luck there either. This would have been absolutely unheard of years ago... there were always quite a few jobs available.

Many close friends and relatives would very much like to leave but they can't sell homes or they have family ties keeping them in the state.

As far as population...there has been an influx of minorities into the cities (Prov, Pawt, and Woonsocket) for years now.
But countless long-term residents have been leaving in numbers.

R.I. is okay if you're young (i.e. student) or if you're rich (you can afford to live there and escape whenever you want)...otherwise .....buyer beware.


Mikey

[Jenkins86]

Originally Posted by Garris

The sad thing is that all of these people enjoy living here a lot. RI and Providence have so much going for it. If our government could just get their act together and restructure some elements to make the state far more business friendly, things could turn around.

- Garris

That is the sadest part, that RI has so much going for it potentially but all of it is just waisted. I still enjoy living here and try to concentrate on the good, but both my wife and I work in Mass.

[LABRAT16]

Years ago RI had a booming jewelry industry and then free trade came in and industry started to dwindle. The Japanese market produced products cheaper, companies started to move to Mexico for cheaper labor, technical support moved to India and the Phillipeens. The world was starting to produce what we produced for so long without compitition. Now China has moved in as the cheaper products and labor and we get hit more. We're on the move to a service providing nation, which means cheaper paying jobs, no manufacturing, increased education providers, increased healthcare, and a slow but noticable move to becoming more in line with what we used to consider 3rd world countries. Until we earn to make something that everyone else wants and can't make, we will continue to backslide. The coastal states are the first to get hit and then it moves inland. Can you say,"Would you like to Biggie size that order?"

[Rnrboy]

By the way, while the census bureau projections show us losing population, the House Fiscal study of tax returns shows us on the upswing in tax payers. So before anyone goes crazy thinking our tax structure is what is driving folks out, based on the numbers, not just projections, folks, or at least tax payers, are moving in.

[ProvGuy]

I don't trust the census estimates at all, especially after they claimed RI to have lost population in the 90's when in fact it ended up gaining 45,000 people. Of course this time around I wouldn't be surprised if we actually did given the economic situation here. Luckily RI is a small state and commuting to the Boston area is feasible to tap into the job market there. State borders mean nothing, especially in the northeast.

[Rhodeislander]

[quote=GreenGene;6655247]I just read a story in the Washington Post, and I had no idea that unemployment was so high in Rhode Island. For those "on the ground", does this story sound right?

I find the news to be more entertaining than factual these days. I have lived here for 43 years, every winter many jobs get shut down till summer. Shellfishing, lanscaping,framing contractors, etc. They all collect unemployment until summer. This has been done for years.
Now, add the fact that people cannot use thier home as ATM machines with so called equity loans. This stopped all remodels and construction and put home depot and others like it into a tailspin.

The mortgage companies that had sprung up like crack dealers on Elmwood Ave on a fridays night, well they all went under. As RI does not manufacture anything, we are dependant on service industry.

Next, we have 100K workers employed by the state and locat government, yes 10% of the entire population. How can we ever afford that? Most with union contracts and nice medical benifits....all paid by the homeowner. (Who is now in pending foreclosure)

Its just Rhode Island being itself, always corrupt,Democratically controlled since 1963. Let pay now and sell bonds mid year when the state runs out of money. Do we need 26 cities and towns? All with seperate governments? All those school admins, fire and police chiefs?
We are the size of the military base Fort Bliss in Texas, they dont need all that government?

Well thats it. The truth.

[Rnrboy]

You need to research your facts. The average state worker doesn't make close to a $100K. The rest of your misbegotten post follows suit.