[mcb1025]

After graduating from college two years ago, I was forced to leave Michigan to avoid long term unemployment. I moved to Colorado and have been living here since. I've been working at a major telecom company in the supply chain management field for close to two years.

I do enjoy Colorado very much, but I would like to be closer to my family and close friends. In addition, I would like to buy a house in the near future. Metro Denver's real estate market has not nosedived like Detroit's market, and therefore it is quite unaffordable to purchase a house here on an entry level salary. In fact, it's a common complaint here that wages have not caught up to cost of living.

*Estimated median household income in 2008: $45,831 (it was $39,500 in 2000) up 16% in eight years


*Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $246,500 (it was $160,100 in 2000) up 54% in eight years

My question is do you think it's possible to find a job in the lower peninsula (preferably closer to Detroit, but open to other locations like Grand Rapids, K-Zoo, etc.) that pays in the $40k range? Also, since most companies are looking for LOCAL CANDIDATES ONLY, would it be wise to up and move back to Michigan w/o a job lined up? It seems that would be the only possible way for me to be considered for a job in that state.

So overall, do you think it's worth coming back there right now? Any signs of serious improvement and, if so, in which industries?


Thanks for your responses.

[michiganbob]

In my humble opinion the "patient is stable, but not out of the woods yet."

In other words, from my vantage point, while it doesn't look like it's getting any worse out there, but I'm not sure I can say it's getting any better. GM is a little more stable--which helps the whole state and some regions--but is squeezing some suppliers who still seem to be folding. Houses seem to be selling, but a lot of those are foreclosures being bought by speculators to resell to . . . I haven't figured out yet. Still a lot of people moving out and small businesses seem to be reluctant to hire until they see better which way the long term wind is blowing.

Competition for jobs like you describe (especially for recent college grads) is going to be fierce: a lot of people with a PhD and 20 years of experience would kill for a job that pays 40K a year right now. However, having said all that I know someone who lost his job in Indianapolis and found one with Styker in Kalamazoo.

Would not recommend moving back here without a job though unless you have money to tide you over for 6 to 8 months. Read some suggestions on a job hunting site last night about your very situation. Their recommendation? Get a Michigan cell phone number and use someone's home address (friend, relative) in the state as your contact address. Makes you look local even when you are not.

One other thing and I almost hate to mention this on the MI board, BUT; you might want to consider job hunting in some states close to Michigan that are doing better economy-wise, like Indiana. Indianapolis seems to be holding it's own and you are still within driving distance. Not a perfect solution, but your cost of living will be much lower and you would still be "in the neighborhood."

[ladyblue09]

I agree with the above post. It is still pretty bad in MI. Moving here without a job would be a huge mistake. Just use a family/friend's address as your MI address if you want to try to job hunt here. It might be better for you to stay where you are, employed, so you can afford to fly into Detroit to see your folks rather than be unemployed and struggling to find any money to do anything with them even if you live here.

[northstar22]

I'm another recent college grad (graduated in 2009 from Western Michigan University) that was forced to leave Michigan to avoid unemployment. I moved to Minnesota in March after searching for a job in Michigan for over a year with no success. I sent out thousands (not an exaggeration) of applications and resumes, went on dozens of interviews, and was turned down for every job I applied to. Despite the bad economy, I eventually became very depressed and started to wonder if I was truly unemployable. I finally decided to get the heck out of Michigan for good last month. I came to Minnesota without a job, and had multiple job offers within a week. I'm happily employed now, making over $30,000 per year, and I have recruiters calling me frequently looking to set up interviews.

The moral of the story is - don't move back to MI.

I love Michigan, and it will always be my home. I was one of the biggest Michigan cheerleaders on this forum and in real life, and I supported my state even when others constantly put it down. However, I'm done with Michigan. I don't ever plan to move back. There is nothing for me there. I can still fly in to see my family and friends frequently, I can still spend my vacations in Michigan. I can also have a full time job, live in a state that is like a much-improved version of MI, and enjoy sunshine and outdoor activities instead of weeks of lake effect clouds. I will always be a Michigander, but I'm now a Minnesotan, and I love my new home. There is life after leaving Michigan. Maybe Colorado's not the place for you, but you can still look around and find a place that may be closer and that still has opportunity. There are several places in the Midwest that DO have jobs. Check out Minneapolis/St. Paul, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Columbus (OH), or, if you can take a really large city, Chicago.

If you're missing home, then go visit. Take frequent trips. Plane tickets aren't that expensive, and it's easy to save up by just giving up little purchases that you can do without.

[Jwo85]

I'll trade you OP. My life for your life.

[fallingwater]

I say no. I do not mean to be a downer. Michigan will always be my home but I had to leave. I had hopes it would pick up and maybe I could move back in a couple of years. Well I have been gone almost 2 years now and from what I have seen in the metro Detroit area, things have gotten even worse since I left. It really bums me out to be honest. I feel a little torn. I can't go home but my new locale doesn't really feel like home either. I suppose over time it will as I make friends and become more involved in my new community.

My teenage son has not adjusted well to the move and tells me often he is homesick. As a parent this breaks my heart so I had to get a little more real with him as it seems age appropriate now. Also with him being a teen he is now in the lovely phase of where he thinks Mom and Dad do not know everything.

We watched the most recent Dateline special and I think watching it was an eye opener for my son. I think he started to realize it just wasn't Mom and Dad exaggerating. Mayor Bing said it will take probably 10-20 years for the city of Detroit to come back. I told my son that he can go back home after graduating college and could be one of those that help the city in it's rebirth. However, I do have many family members that are doing okay in the Detroit area but they are not free of worry. Some of my family members are teachers with tenure but if school districts suffer and close down schools, they are not safe. Everything has a trickle down effect no matter what occupation you have.

[janamc]

I don't think you should move without a job, but you can use a local MI address of family or friends for your resume, and on the cover letter mention "I'm planning to move back to Michigan this fall", or whenever, so then the prospective employer knows that you're serious and will be a local, not just someone from Denver applying on a whim. I'd also recommend making a trip out to MI for a week or preferably longer so you could do some intense job hunting while you're in the area. You'd probably need to do this a few times before you find something, but if you're wanting to visit your friends and family anyway than hopefully this wouldn't be much additional expense or hassle since you'll be staying with them and having some fun too.

If you don't find something in MI now you can always try again later. It's good that you have a job and are enjoying Colorado, so I would just keep that going and don't give that up unless you line up something else first.

[michsnowlvr]

Anytime you ask a question like that on this forum, you are always going to get responses from the people who couldnt find a job in MI tell you no no no, there are no jobs in MI, etc etc, and not to mention act like there are so many jobs everywhere else. In my life I personally know people who have moved here from other areas because of better jobs (Minneapolis, Chicago, and Monterey, CA), and I also hear stories about people who have moved out of state and are quickly returning as they see the grass is not greener everywhere else.

Basically, dont move ANYWHERE without a job....but there ARE jobs in Michigan, the economy seems to be slowly improving. I say keep job hunting online, and best of luck in returning to MI.

[northstar22]

People say don't move without a job, but ignore that it's almost impossible to find a job from out of state with just searching online. The vast majority of companies prefer local candidates. Sometimes you have to just take the plunge and hope for the best.

[magellan]

I say go for it and move back. Here's the weird dichotomy going on: there are people in Michigan who can't find jobs, yet there are thousands of jobs going unfilled right now because of lack of the right skill sets/aptitudes. Michigan's "stock" is way undervalued, buy now.