Recent college graduates have been known to come down with the occasional case of Wanderlust. But according to a piece by NPR's Day to Day, many 20-somethings from the Upper Midwest are now packing up and moving out in search of jobs, a trend that states in the region are attempting to curb.
The exodus is logical. New global businesses need to tap an educated, energetic workforce, so they locate where they think they can find young graduates. Meanwhile, the grads themselves move where they think they can find new jobs, mainly in regions with vibrant economies. The circular pattern means that states whose economies have been slow to diversify -- such as Michigan, Iowa, and some of the plains states -- are left with a withering population base.
John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute told Day to Day that the Prairie State isn't immune to this empty nest phenomenon either. In the last decade, Illinois has suffered an outmigration of 700,000 residents.
According to Iowa State University economist Dave Swenson, who was interviewed on the program, "Every state in the Midwest has been doing everything they can think of to stimulate growth, to try to entice, bribe, or otherwise subsidize economic development."
One promising idea that that passed the Maine legislature last summer could really appeal to Midwesterners.
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Titled Opportunity Maine, the law authorizes tax credits to refund educational loan payments for any Mainer who earns an in-state associate’s or bachelor’s degree and then proceeds to live, work, and pay taxes in Maine after graduation. The idea's strength is based in its broad appeal:
The bill’s major strength is its attractiveness to multiple constituents. It eases the increasing burden of college payment for students and their families. Businesses will grow more competitive with an influx of talented applicants. The state will benefit with an injection of new tax dollars and consumption. And proponents claim that financially, the proposal will break even or better by 2015, as the state generates more income as a result of higher income taxes and a stronger economy. “I think the essence of it appeals to a lot of people because it’s a really good idea and one that’s really needed,” says Brian Hiatt, communications director for the League of Young Voters.
"Opportunity Illinois," anyone?
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