Is Michigan and Detroit really that bad? (Ann Arbor, Rochester Hills: job market, buying)

[Christoph83]

What company is this you speak of?

Originally Posted by MelCam

Vicman,

I don't know yet. I have joined a recruitment company that can place you anywhere in Michigan - so no idea yet. I have never been and unfortunately we can't afford to come and visit before. The recrutiment company has said that they will place me in an area of my preference - bit diificult when you have never been!!

[azriverfan.]

I was born and raised in California and live in Arizona. I have a lot of close friends who live in the Detroit/Ann Arbor/West Bloomfield area. I love that area and the people in Michigan are very friendly and down-to-earth.

That being said, the area is dying. The lifeblood of the city was the auto industry. Even those who don't work in the auto industry are impacted by it as their business or service is most likely tied to it. The unemployment rate is going to continue to rise there. And the actual city of Detroit is mocked by its own people. There was white flight in which the white people in Detroit moved to the suburbs a long time ago and the city just fell apart. What's odd is most people have pride in their city or say good things about it. In Michigan, people are proud of their suburbs but criticize Detroit. I heard this all the time there "Ann Arbor is great but Detroit sucks or Troy is wonderful but Detroit sucks" That was a common theme there. I've never heard any resident criticize their host city this way. Even in LA, people will say they prefer living in Orange County but you don't really hear them say LA sucks.

On the Arizona thread, we routinely get posts from people who live in Michigan who want to move to Arizona. The job outlook in Arizona isn't great but compared to Michigan, it's amazing. The reality is places like Arizona and California will always have tourism and the retirement industry to fall back due to its weather, but Michigan has no such industry to rely on. And with the bad weather, high crime and lack of industry there is no reason for people to live there any longer aside from family reasons. Seriously, their biggest industry are their public universities to which they have two amazing ones in the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

I agree Michigan is a beautiful state with wonderful people which is why it pains me to make these comments but it's just dying. California has it's problems. The cost of living is really high there but that is mostly due to the high demand to live there since it offers so much and people are willing to pay 800K for 2000 sq foot home just to live in California. Everyone has an opinion on this but actions speak louder than words and the fact that people are willing to pay that much money to live there is a better testament as to what it offers as opposed to an individual who says it's bad.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

The reality is places like Arizona and California will always have tourism and the retirement industry due to its weatherbut Michigan has no such industry to rely on.

Like many places, Miichigan's outlook fluctuates. It will improve.

Did you notice that places like California and Arizona do not have enough water to support their population? That is only going to get worse. I know of a good place where you can have as much water as you want, and more.

Do you have any idea how bad the economic situation is in Southern California? It is not much different than Michigan. On top of that, the State Government is completely bankrupt. They have no chance of coming up with the tens of billions of additioanl money that they need to get through the year. Michigan is short too, but nowhere near the same extent.

Do you know what is Michigan's 2nd biggest industry after automotive? Tourism.

Have you seen the ads flooding TV in many states for Michigan as a vacation spot?


Tousim is certianly one of the things avialable to fall back on. There are others, but they cannot keep up with the decline in the auto industry until that decline levels out. Once it does, we will be in much improved financial conditions.

[PeaceChild]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Like many places, Miichigan's outlook fluctuates. It will improve.

Did you notice that places like California and Arizona do not have enough water to support their population? That is only going to get worse. I know of a good place where you can have as much water as you want, and more.

Do you have any idea how bad the economic situation is in Southern California? It is not much different than Michigan. On top of that, the State Government is completely bankrupt. They have no chance of coming up with the tens of billions of additioanl money that they need to get through the year. Michigan is short too, but nowhere near the same extent.

Do you know what is Michigan's 2nd biggest industry after automotive? Tourism.

Have you seen the ads flooding TV in many states for Michigan as a vacation spot?


Tousim is certianly one of the things avialable to fall back on. There are others, but they cannot keep up with the decline in the auto industry until that decline levels out. Once it does, we will be in much improved financial conditions.

I agree. Michigan is a tourist state also and a beautiful one. One should remember that Detroit is not all of Michigan, but only one city.

I have lived in California and have been to Arizona a couple times also. I'd never live there. Not my cup of tea.

Maybe it is only if you are from here that you understand what it is all about. There is a toughness about us and living through many recessions here only makes us stronger. Michigan always seems to be the first one into a recession and the last one out.

Last year, I'd post on other forums around the country when Michigan's economy was really starting to get bad. People would always cut down Detroit, even if they had never been here. Let the auto industry fail, they would say. I'd explain to them that if Detroit goes down, there will be a trickle down effect to other states. Now they are all really worried about their towns.

I remember a Senator from Tennessee saying no bail out for Detroit a few months ago. Well, instead of Spring Hill, TN getting that new contract for GM to build a small car at one of the idle plants, we got it here in Michigan instead. Just announced today. At least some good news for a change.

We have the movie industry here now also, but too early to tell how that will play out.

Very proud to be from Michigan. Wouldn't live anywhere else.

[junior 88 fan]

Movie industry is NOT going to put 850,000 people (who lost jobs in the Jenny years) to work and if it did put some to work, it will NOT come close to paying a liveable wage to remain here. People need to wake up. The liberal TV and press is ballyhooing about a small car plant here in Orion....this is the car that Americans WILL NOT BUY. If we wanted this, we would already be buying Cobalts. Its not going to happen. We want the freedom to buy the car/truck/SUV that fits our needs/appeals to us and not have some holier than now freek from DC telling us that this is the car we need to drive to 'save' the environment. Complete BS being spoon fed from DC. If you do not have a decent paying job, it does not matter how beautiful this state is and how great tourism is. If you cannot afford to participate, what good is it?! Tourism is a three month industry. To attract business, taxocrtats need to offer no or low business taxes to corporations. Period. When that happens, work comes here. Its magic.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by junior 88 fan

Movie industry is NOT going to put 850,000 people (who lost jobs in the Jenny years) to work and if it did put some to work, it will NOT come close to paying a liveable wage to remain here. People need to wake up. The liberal TV and press is ballyhooing about a small car plant here in Orion....this is the car that Americans WILL NOT BUY. If we wanted this, we would already be buying Cobalts. Its not going to happen. We want the freedom to buy the car/truck/SUV that fits our needs/appeals to us and not have some holier than now freek from DC telling us that this is the car we need to drive to 'save' the environment. Complete BS being spoon fed from DC. If you do not have a decent paying job, it does not matter how beautiful this state is and how great tourism is. If you cannot afford to participate, what good is it?! Tourism is a three month industry. To attract business, taxocrtats need to offer no or low business taxes to corporations. Period. When that happens, work comes here. Its magic.

AMEN!!

[PeaceChild]

Originally Posted by junior 88 fan

Movie industry is NOT going to put 850,000 people (who lost jobs in the Jenny years) to work and if it did put some to work, it will NOT come close to paying a liveable wage to remain here. People need to wake up. The liberal TV and press is ballyhooing about a small car plant here in Orion....this is the car that Americans WILL NOT BUY. If we wanted this, we would already be buying Cobalts. Its not going to happen. We want the freedom to buy the car/truck/SUV that fits our needs/appeals to us and not have some holier than now freek from DC telling us that this is the car we need to drive to 'save' the environment. Complete BS being spoon fed from DC. If you do not have a decent paying job, it does not matter how beautiful this state is and how great tourism is. If you cannot afford to participate, what good is it?! Tourism is a three month industry. To attract business, taxocrtats need to offer no or low business taxes to corporations. Period. When that happens, work comes here. Its magic.

No **** Sherlock.

I said; we have the movie industry here, but too early to tell how that will play out.

Smoking crack? I've never seen crack in my life. If you don't agree, say so, but don't start cutting people down because your opinion differs from theirs.

Maybe the Orion plant won't produce cars that the public will buy, but look who they are taking their orders from now. I know I didn't vote for him.

[MelCam]

Originally Posted by Christoph83

What company is this you speak of?

The company is called Robin Recruitmet. They are UK based and recruit nurses in the Michigan area.

[PeaceChild]

Originally Posted by MelCam

The company is called Robin Recruitmet. They are UK based and recruit nurses in the Michigan area.

There is definitely a shortage of nurses here, as in a lot of cities. You should do just fine.

[LIS123]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

That being said, the area is dying. The lifeblood of the city was the auto industry. Even those who don't work in the auto industry are impacted by it as their business or service is most likely tied to it. The unemployment rate is going to continue to rise there. And the actual city of Detroit is mocked by its own people. There was white flight in which the white people in Detroit moved to the suburbs a long time ago and the city just fell apart. What's odd is most people have pride in their city or say good things about it. In Michigan, people are proud of their suburbs but criticize Detroit. I heard this all the time there "Ann Arbor is great but Detroit sucks or Troy is wonderful but Detroit sucks" That was a common theme there. I've never heard any resident criticize their host city this way. Even in LA, people will say they prefer living in Orange County but you don't really hear them say LA sucks.
.

I agree with this post. It seems (based on advertisements from the MEDC and some studies) that Michigan's business climate is at least reasonable. However, the pain in the auto industry and complete destruction of Detroit make it hard for the state to make a comeback. Not only is the state losing population, but the people leaving are younger and more productive than those moving in. A friend of mine works in the Flint area and thinks that area is only going to decline. It's likely that Detroit proper is going to keep getting worse (think of the recent Conyers bribery charge and FDA investigation into Caraco Pharma, for ex) which makes it harder for the Metro area to prosper. It would be great for Michigan to improve, but I think it's extremely unlikely.