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Here is what a site selector interviewed for the Tesla Giga Factory said about how important Right To Work is in where they choose to locate the facility: “I can’t underscore how critical right to work status is.”
Personally, I think Tesla is a bad example. Musk was using the other states to get what he wanted from Reno and Nevada. I don't think he had any inentions of placing that plant anywhere else unless NV didn't cave in.
Interesting article on why our latest call center picked ABQ (highlights):
Higginbotham cited several reasons why Canon ITS picked Albuquerque for the first expansion outside its Chesapeake, Va., headquarters, including weather. She said the devastation wreaked by Superstorm Sandy prompted the company to seek a West Coast location, and Albuquerque offered a climate with minimal risk for weather-related disruptions.
Higginbotham also noted the city’s bilingual workforce and its active film scene and creative community.
“One of the things we really liked here with this area is the fact there is a presence for the film industry. … The community embraces the arts and photography and digital media, so it really was the best fit for us in terms of growing our business,” she told the Journal after the news conference.
Asked how important the $600,000 incentive package was in the decision, Higginbotham said: “It helped. You’ve got the icing on the cake, and it was sort of some sprinkles on top.”
My guess is the educational attainment stat is likely very misleading. May want to research the fine print on that one. Look at high school and college graduation rates for NM. Look at test scores for NM vs. other states.
I've seen the graduation rates and accounted for that in my post. I'll reiterate 1) Migration of high school dropouts out of the area 2) attainment of GED and 3) Migration of high school, college and graduate degree holders into the area.
My guess is the educational attainment stat is likely very misleading. May want to research the fine print on that one. Look at high school and college graduation rates for NM. Look at test scores for NM vs. other states.
Per my previous post, migration has a lot to do with it.
For the 2013 ACS 3-year estimate:
- 93% of people 25 and older moving into Albuquerque from another state had a high school diploma or equivalent.
- 1,523 high school dropouts 25 and older left Albuquerque for other states, just 976 moved from other states to Albuquerque.
My guess: many are going to work for Sandia or Los Alamos. When we lived in the ABQ area it seemed there were a lot of high school drop outs and very young people getting married as well as a lot of unwed moms. Whenever you see family breakdown or see people learning the ropes of living on the government you will see an economy in trouble.
In our case my wife was a Federal employee and was offered a promotion, government paid move, a job in Albuquerque instead of staying in the DC area, and an opportunity in a different career field. She took off like the Flash, had a few hours to decide, took me five months to catch up to her...
NM was always on my list for over 20 years.
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 11-08-2014 at 12:07 PM..
In our case, I can work from anywhere via phone and internet, and my wife is retired. Given the great weather here, the wide range of things to do, etc., it's a great place to live if you're not tied by work to another geographic location.
It was a pre-retirement move for us. I'm a mid-career professional and my DH is on the cusp of retirement. He worked out a plan with his employer where he could work from home if we moved. I started looking for something and found a state position in Santa Fe. We showed up in the spring with two bachelors' and one professional degree in tow.
Putting the labs aside for a moment, I think you'll find a not insignificant number of the other degreed newcomers being mid/late-career or pre-retirement, in career fields that are easily transportable. I think we're a bit older, too, which means we're less likely to have kids and home so we're less concerned about quality of public education. The pay here may not match what we were earning elsewhere, but the quality of life makes up for it.
My wife and I are retired white collar professionals with advanced degrees. We could live anywhere we want, but we moved here to be with our daughter, a recent MD who moved here to start her medical career at UNMH.
Note that the Brookings Institution report mentioned earlier in this thread was updated in September 2014 and is a bit more upbeat:
"Albuquerque's economic performance of the 2nd quarter raise hopes that a lasting recovery may finally take hold… Albuquerque may pull out of its double-dip recession yet in 2014."
One way to look at Albuquerque's economy is to compare current employment levels with past employment levels and conclude that there is something inherently wrong, especially when employment levels in other cities have returned to pre-recession levels.
Another way to look at Albuquerque's economy is to recognize that Albuquerque is a unique small city that is still undergoing a long transition from its outsized role as a Cold War and related-federal-jobs powerhouse. Unfortunately, this is not the best time in American history to be expanding and diversifying our private sector, because the playing field is no longer level – we've never had to compete economically with a larger, nondemocratic, predatory authoritarian-capitalist regime that can operate its government entirely in secret, suppress any dissent, control all information, and play by its own rules, even deploying its military hackers to steal American companies' secrets.
In this context, relatively flat, but gradual improvement may be the new normal. Comparisons to cities that are larger, historically economically diversified, rich in nearby fossil fuels, have international trade ports, or are unacceptably polluted may not be very meaningful.
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Adjusting to the new normal
