Good news!: Forbes ranks MKE #5 best city to find job in '09 (Milwaukee: rental car)

[EnjoyEP]

Some good Milwaukee ranking news!

Forbes Magazine released their annual list / ranking of the top cities in the US in which to find a job in 2009, and Milwaukee comes in at a very healthy #5 on the list!

Especially in today's current economic climate, it is great to see Milwaukee ranked so well on a list for potential job-seekers (actually, Madison, only an hour away, ranked #1 so that is a great job by the two main Wisconsin cities).

Read this story here (and yes, I realize that to a certain degree, you have to take these rankings with a grain of salt, but it is still good publicity and good statistical information for Milwaukee):

Ten Cities For Job Growth In 2009 - Forbes.com

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

Some good Milwaukee ranking news!

Forbes Magazine released their annual list / ranking of the top cities in the US in which to find a job in 2009, and Milwaukee comes in at a very healthy #5 on the list!

Especially in today's current economic climate, it is great to see Milwaukee ranked so well on a list for potential job-seekers (actually, Madison, only an hour away, ranked #1 so that is a great job by the two main Wisconsin cities).

Read this story here (and yes, I realize that to a certain degree, you have to take these rankings with a grain of salt, but it is still good publicity and good statistical information for Milwaukee):

Ten Cities For Job Growth In 2009 - Forbes.com

This is a particularly interesting part of the article:

"Many health care, energy and environmental companies that were based in Chicago have been moving to Milwaukee for its cheaper expenses."

Milwaukee should not let this ship sail. Wisconsin is hard on businesses, but it's a lot easier on business than the State of Chicago, without increasing hardships on employees or transportation (i.e. living in the ubiquitous "cheap" business environment, usually far from anywhere and short on amenities). It's a short drive or train trip. It just doesn't have a fast connector to Chicagoland, and a person taking the train into Milwaukee from Chicago, is relegated to a rental car or a city bus. Neither is viable in the long term, IMO. But that's getting off topic.

Madison and Milwaukee typically lag the economy. At the same time, neither experiences the severe drops that other cities experience.

In the words of Disco Stu... "If these trends continue... AAY!"

[Milwaukee City]

It's a short drive or train trip. It just doesn't have a fast connector to Chicagoland, and a person taking the train into Milwaukee from Chicago, is relegated to a rental car or a city bus. Neither is viable in the long term

Or a cab? most of the type of people who take the train live near downtown Chicago and the El lines are all right there. I don't think there relegated to a rental car or city bus most will take El, metra, cab. People who live in Naperville will drive but if you live relatively close to downtown the Hiawatha train is a viable means.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Or a cab? most of the type of people who take the train live near downtown Chicago and the El lines are all right there. I don't think there relegated to a rental car or city bus most will take El, metra, cab. People who live in Naperville will drive but if you live relatively close to downtown the Hiawatha train is a viable means.

OK... look closer at what I wrote, so it makes sense.

"a person taking the train into Milwaukee from Chicago..."

I used to live in Chicago, so I'm aware of the CTA and Metra, plus of course cabs and other methods of getting around. I'll reiterate my point if it wasn't clear. Milwaukee does not have ample transit resources to support a day trip for Chicago people visiting a Milwaukee company. It's OK for downtown-only walking or a quick cab trip, but it doesn't have the fast link to Chicago, or the quick alternatives of getting around that Chicago does. Obviously size of the city is a factor, but I wouldn't bet on people jumping on a city bus to visit a company that isn't downtown.

Milwaukee and surrounding areas, have a very strong opportunity to expand due to high taxation and cost of doing business in Chicagoland. The area has an airport that can handle more volume and is an easy extension of Chicagoland's north suburbs, with better travel time and less delays than traveling to O'Hare on peak travel days.

Sadly, having lived and/or worked in Chicago, DC, NJ, NY, MI, VA, AZ (hopefully I got them all), I have rarely seen Wisconsin promoted as anything but a standalone entity that touts conventions, tourism, and recent changes from the old blue collar business environment. West Virginia--for example--dumps a fortune of advertising dollars into recruiting new business. I see ads everywhere. I never see much for Wisconsin. It's like Wisconsin wants to advertise the northern reaches, but forgets about getting business. The only thing I have seen over time, is small promotions that advertise one-horse towns with airports "big enough to handle a King Air". Good for them. I don't see much promotional material that advertises the regional business climate of the Milwaukee metropolitan area, and its proximity to massive population centers.

What I am saying is, Milwaukee should not be waiting until one of the so-called "great local employers" like Quad/Graphics, blows out of town or sells out. That is not a time to figure out what to do. Milwaukee needs to plan for growth, and it needs to be on radar screens across the country. Also, I don't think that it will get far with a transit plan capped off with "express buses" that ride in normal traffic lanes. If nothing else, it looks like an afterthought. Waiting for twenty years is not a good idea either.