Can’t Find a Job? Go to North Dakota
Friday, August 14th, 2009 By Marc KilmerThe Washington Post has a story today about an Ohio woman who is unable to find work in this state and so moves to North Dakota:
She grew up in California, taught piano while raising two children in Nevada, filed for divorce and decided to attend college in Ohio starting in 2004. She wanted to find a “grown-up” job. After graduating from Ohio University in March, she spent three weeks working with a career counselor and scanning local job listings. Nothing.
She lowered her expectations and applied for hourly-wage jobs across Ohio. Nothing.
After searching in other states, she found a job in North Dakota. While this one story isn’t really anything to base public policy on, it certainly puts Ohio to shame when graduates are leaving to work not in Florida or Texas or some other sunny state that’s noted for its good business climate, but are instead going to North Dakota.
According to the Tax Foundation, North Dakota ranks 30 in terms of the state business tax climate. Ohio ranks 47. I’ve written here about how to make Ohio a more attractive place for college graduates.
August 14th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Ohio’s job market is in just terrible shape. I’ve been underemployed for the last year, since getting laid off last January. I’ve been submitting 30-50 applications per week to every company in Columbus with a website and, well, the best I’ve done so far is making $15/hour working 20 hours a week through a contracting company, doing the same job with the same company I left nine years ago. I haven’t even had an interview since then. I may not be an IT superstar but I’m not exactly an entry level noob either, and yet I can’t get an interview for entry level help desk jobs.
North Dakota’s weather may be horrendous, but if it means I don’t have to live with my mother-in-law and survive off of food stamps and medicaid, I’d move there in a heartbeat.
August 18th, 2009 at 12:59 am
North Dakota gets two tax dollars for every one it sends to Washington.