Phoenix exodus: 21.5K left and/or stopped looking (Chandler: sales, 2015)

[ReadyFreddy]

If part of this is from people retiring who put off retiring in the past 5 years because they couldn't afford it, that's good news.

[robabeatle]

Originally Posted by las vegas drunk

"it is just getting sad now. In April the number of people not in the labor force rose by a whopping 522,000 from 87,897,000 to
88,419,000. This is the highest on record. The flip side, and the reason why the unemployment dropped to 8.1% is that the labor force participation rate just dipped to a new 30 year low of 64.3%"

People Not In Labor Force Soar By 522,000, Labor Force Participation Rate Lowest Since 1981 | ZeroHedge

Thank you for your source.

i. The first statement " it is just getting sad now. In April the number of people not in the labor force rose by a whopping 522,000 from 87,897,000 to
88,419,000" is a bit hyperbolic in that the change is about 6 tenths of a percentage point. Does the word "whopping" accurately describe that change or is it more an emotional ruse?

ii. The second graph shows a more noticeable change of about 3% in the labor force participation rate. Here is a graph starting from 1948. Notice the black line which includes both men and women:

File:US Labor Participation Rate 1948-2011 by gender.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Vinny536]

I could foresee a lot of people leaving this area. I've met a good amount of transplants like myself. most of them have share the opinion of "it's very nice here, but I do not see myself living here long term." I honestly haven't met many people who say they are here to stay. Most are planning to move "home" or at least to another section of the country.

[robabeatle]

Phoenix Population:

Population in the U.S. - Google Public Data Explorer

[normcrok8]

People moving out of Arizona doesnt surprise me. It aint for everybody. I moved there in 2005 and made many friends. By the time I left a few months ago, only 2 remained because they leftfor better opportunity elsewhere. AZ just doesnt have opportunity for young people seeking to start their career. AZ will always have the reputation of being a 'retirment' state.' Wages, economic growth and opportunity have always been low. People usually dont move here and stay for the longterm. Its also common for people to move here only THINKING they like the warmth and sun, until they move back when it becomes too much. AZ needs a lower population anyways because there isnt enough water, jobs and resources for people. Putting everything together, it is IMPOSSIBLE for AZ to grow and be prepared for the future. The boom is over.

[JamestheFin]

I think the real question in this discussion is what will happen in California? If the economy continues to go downhill and the state and cities bankrupt themselves, and Jerry Brown and Sacramento continue to blow out the budget and make things hard for everyone else, how many businesses and individuals will leave California? And where do they end up? Texas? Nevada? Arizona? Colorado? Hate to state it but what happens in California will absolutely affect the economy, demographics, housing, etc in Arizona.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Vinny536

I could foresee a lot of people leaving this area. I've met a good amount of transplants like myself. most of them have share the opinion of "it's very nice here, but I do not see myself living here long term." I honestly haven't met many people who say they are here to stay. Most are planning to move "home" or at least to another section of the country.

I meet many of these people as well but ironically they move back within 3 years. They still dislike the things they disliked about Phoenix prior to moving but they also acknowledge they took Phoenix for granted and admit it's a much nicer city and couldn't recognize that until they moved away.

[robabeatle]

On California:

California demographic shift: More people leaving than moving in - Los Angeles Times

[kytoaz]

Originally Posted by GHOSTRIDER AZ

When we get a new President that is pro active. (Not Obama) . The Pipe line from Old Canada will actually have a start date. We have a proactive Energy Plan. All of us who forced to live in parts of the country for a simple job, will return home. I have been looking for path home for 2.5 years, but this stinking recession that we are is is holding up the move.

what does the keystone pipeline have to do with phoenix?

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by normcrok8

People moving out of Arizona doesnt surprise me. It aint for everybody. I moved there in 2005 and made many friends. By the time I left a few months ago, only 2 remained because they leftfor better opportunity elsewhere. AZ just doesnt have opportunity for young people seeking to start their career. AZ will always have the reputation of being a 'retirment' state.' Wages, economic growth and opportunity have always been low. People usually dont move here and stay for the longterm. Its also common for people to move here only THINKING they like the warmth and sun, until they move back when it becomes too much. AZ needs a lower population anyways because there isnt enough water, jobs and resources for people. Putting everything together, it is IMPOSSIBLE for AZ to grow and be prepared for the future. The boom is over.

normcrok8, normally I find myself on the opposite side of your arguments, but this time I have to somewhat agree with some of what you said. Since we moved here 14 years ago we have encountered a lot of people who moved here, stayed a while, then moved to another state for various reasons. Some were glad to leave, while others wanted to stay. As for the state needing a lower population due to water concerns, that remains to be seen. However, although we may not see the same type of population boom we saw from 1999-2009 I still see the population growing, albeit at a slower pace. AZ is still a wonderful place to live hence, the many people I recently encountered who are contemplating moving here. All is not lost, things just change.