[michmoldman]

Some people leave Michigan just because. I have a friend who is leaving this week for PA to get a welding job. I have told him several times I am hearing this commercial on the radio about a company near us looking for welders, and another place in St. Johns looking for welders... but he never checked it out. I think people may think they have exhausted all options for jobs here in Michigan, when in fact they have only done it half a**ed.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by michmoldman

Some people leave Michigan just because. I have a friend who is leaving this week for PA to get a welding job. I have told him several times I am hearing this commercial on the radio about a company near us looking for welders, and another place in St. Johns looking for welders... but he never checked it out. I think people may think they have exhausted all options for jobs here in Michigan, when in fact they have only done it half a**ed.

I honestly (I swear) know people who have moved here recently for work, from other states. It seems to be balancing out a bit, people moving out and people moving in. I think a lot of college grads like to move to experience the world. Why not?

I'd like to see some of the local Press reach out to the people who have moved here and ask them why they came? They might be startled by the responses.

[Coldjensens]

I hear that all the college grads immediately high tail it for other lands, but we personally do not see it. The one that we know, stayed. Our kids and their friends seem to be planning to stay on Graduation (except one of my daughters wants to go to Conneticut - for no reason at all. She has never been there and does not know anyone from there.)

[mackinac81]

Originally Posted by northstar22

I'm a young, single guy who moved out of Michigan in 2010, after I graduated from (undergrad) college. I left because I wanted to take some time off before going to grad school, and I couldn't find a decent job in Michigan. I originally wanted to stay in Michigan, but I couldn't find employment. So I moved to Minnesota, worked for a year, confirmed my suspicions that the "professional world" just wasn't for me, and decided to keep pursuing my dream of entering academia.

Now I'm in grad school at a university here in Minnesota, working on a Master of Arts degree (in political science and public policy) before I start my PhD (also in poli. sci.). There's a chance I could end up back in Niles or my hometown of Kalamazoo for a few years if I get accepted into PhD programs at Notre Dame or Western Michigan. I'm also considering Michigan State and the University of Michigan, but I'd be a long shot to get into either of those programs.

Long term, I don't really see myself staying in Michigan. I want to become a professor, and Michigan's state government keeps slashing university funding, which means fewer positions for professors, at least at public universities. I don't really feel like I fit with Michigan anymore -- it will always be my home, but I've moved on.

I had reached a similar point when I was in North Carolina. I knew I didn't want to stay in the South, but I didn't feel like I HAD to live in Michigan. Anywhere in the midwest or around the Great Lakes would have been fine. I swear I have lake water in my veins.

Of course, now that I'm living in St. Joe again, by the lake, I can't believe I ever thought about not coming back. I forgot how awesome it was. Now I hope I never, ever leave! It's so, so beautiful here!

Good luck!

[Gunner0325]

It's funny because we live in Chicago and we have been talking about moving to Michigan. My wife is from there, she's lived in Detroit, and has lived in other parts and her Mom still lives in St. Clair Shores/Harrison Township. Every time we go back there we talk about moving there but my wife has a great teaching job and I have a decent paying job here in Illinois. I know it would be hard for her to find a teaching job in MI and she is tenured already at her school. I also don't know what I would do for work either...I have been looking for job opportunities but it's rough. We are just fed up with paying so much to live in Illinois with no real reason we are here. We have no kids and don't plan on any. We have even considered moving in with her Mom and looking for jobs while we do that, but we are worried about not finding anything then regretting moving away and quitting our jobs. I do love it in Michigan, and I was born and raised in Illinois close to Chicago.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by Gunner0325

It's funny because we live in Chicago and we have been talking about moving to Michigan. My wife is from there, she's lived in Detroit, and has lived in other parts and her Mom still lives in St. Clair Shores/Harrison Township. Every time we go back there we talk about moving there but my wife has a great teaching job and I have a decent paying job here in Illinois. I know it would be hard for her to find a teaching job in MI and she is tenured already at her school. I also don't know what I would do for work either...I have been looking for job opportunities but it's rough. We are just fed up with paying so much to live in Illinois with no real reason we are here. We have no kids and don't plan on any. We have even considered moving in with her Mom and looking for jobs while we do that, but we are worried about not finding anything then regretting moving away and quitting our jobs. I do love it in Michigan, and I was born and raised in Illinois close to Chicago.

Lets start a CDMI poster of the week award. This guy gets my vote. (I assume it is a guy since the post refers to a wife, but these days you never know).

[michmoldman]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Lets start a CDMI poster of the week award. This guy gets my vote. (I assume it is a guy since the post refers to a wife, but these days you never know).

My vote also...

[FL2MT]

If there's nothing in the census data, you might try contacting some University placement offices and see if they have any data on where their graduates end up. Probably going to be tough to find it.

Anecdotally, I moved out back in 2004 and both of my siblings also moved away. Nothing against Michigan, we all just had interests and opportunities in other parts of the country. If you do come across the info somewhere please return and post it here, it'd be interesting to check it out. Those 'brain drain' type stories show up in the newspapers from time to time but I've never seen any details regarding the data behind them.

[Gunner0325]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Lets start a CDMI poster of the week award. This guy gets my vote. (I assume it is a guy since the post refers to a wife, but these days you never know).

Thanks for the vote! And I am a guy, been married a little over 5 years now, we are both in our mid to late 30's. I will for sure keep everyone posted on what we find. I am trying my hardest to convince my wife it's the right thing to do, but it's hard. We do have a house and a mortgage, so we would have to sell, and then move right away so it would be a big step. I think my wife leaving her job is the hardest thing because she has a good thing going, being tenured and what not. But at the same time Illinois is trying to pass a law to take 25% out of her paycheck for union dues instead of the 10% it is now because Illinois is so broke. If that happens, that might be our calling. I know Michigan's economy isn't much better, but that isn't our point. We just like the state as a whole. Chicago area is very fast paced and stressful..whatever happened to living life and slowing down and taking it all in? I don't want to wait till I am 70 to do that. Not in this day and age. Things are different then they used to be. Jobs aren't there and even if you do have a job it's not guaranteed you will have it till you retire like the old days. So the "get married at 20 buy a house find a career have kids sell your house for a profit and buy a bigger house work at your job for 30 years send your kids to college and watch them find great careers sell your 2nd house for a bigger profit and retire where ever you want" days are over. I am done trying to live that dream!

[michmoldman]

Originally Posted by Gunner0325

whatever happened to living life and slowing down and taking it all in? I don't want to wait till I am 70 to do that.!

Im with you on this point. Seems today everything is fast paced and no time to enjoy anything anymore. Its pretty sad really...