Posted on 01/27/2007 2:15:06 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
BOSTON — Young adults are earning their college degrees in Massachusetts and leaving the state, taking their eager work ethic, vitality and young families with them, according to a new study.
The entire Massachusetts population has dwindled over the past 14 years, but young adults between the ages of 25 and 34 are disappearing the fastest, according to a study out of the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire.
And they are not just leaving the Bay State. All six New England states rank in the top 10 in the country when it comes to losing members of Generation Y.
"It really affects the economic and social character of the region. Businesses that are growing fast, such as technology fields, need the energy of entry-level workers, and if there's a decline in this group, they may look to settle elsewhere," Ross Gittell, author of the study, said.
Most counties lose youth
Each of the 67 counties across New England has lost young adults since 1990 except Nantucket, Gittell found. Berkshire County lost 34 percent, Worcester County lost 20 percent, and Windham County in Vermont lost a whopping 41 percent.
The loss not only threatens the state politically in terms of congressional representation, but also has more subtle implications, said Sen. Steven Panagiotakos, D-Lowell.
"We have a very aging population, and we have one of the best benefits systems, but you need those young entrepreneurial working-class people to support that system. Losing people in the 25 to 34 age group hurts us today, but it hurts us even more ten years from now when those people would be getting into the prime of their business careers," Panagiotakos said.
Although several universities in the state attract young adults, Massachusetts is unable to keep them, leading to a "brain drain," of skilled workers. "Our greatest resource is our highly skilled work force. If that erodes, we will lose our competitive edge," he said.
Massachusetts could lose up to 40 percent of their young workers who have bachelor's degrees by 2020, according to a study by the Nellie Mae Foundation.
Once those young workers are gone, it gets harder to attract investors and expand businesses, and the area begins to be "branded as old and cold," said John Schneider, interim president at MassInc, a public policy think tank. Communities also are losing out on the innovations and tolerance that younger generations bring into a community, he added.
"Younger people bring new ideas and new ways of thinking about things and more diversity, and we lose that element. It's not just work force, but also to the contributions young people make to civic and cultural community," Schneider said.
State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox, hopes to work with Gov. Deval L. Patrick to entice young adults to stay here, explaining that a creative job market might keep them.
"We need to revitalize the economy in Massachusetts region by region. The market here in the Berkshires is very different from the market in Boston," Pignatelli said.
There's only so many times you can blame the Republicans. When I moved to Boston, it was all Weld's fault. then Celucci's... starvin' school kids and oppressing the minorities. Maybe one day, there will be a massive wake up.
Sounds like it might be happening.
that's always the dilemna.
alot of FR threads on this whole "migration" thing - but you know what, the people who move into their new destination states - bring their liberalism with them (not you). so then you see threads about places like Colorado, and Florida, and North Carolina, etc - becoming more liberal.
the bottom line is - you can run, but you can't hide. wherever you go, the problems you are running from, are coming there too - via the same formula. more people, more demands for government services, more teachers, higher salaries for government workers,higher taxes. the cycle just begins again someplace else.
yes, but for whatever reason - the bottom never falls out on prices. for all this talk of "everybody is leaving" - someone is buying those houses eventually.
many of them are.
yes, but if you look at the national polls on the political leaning of generation Y - they are mostly Democrats (58-42 I believe).
And a lot of them are going home after college...
I have a deep love for the South and most things Southern. It's in my blood. Interestingly enough, my great, great (go back 12x) grandpa fought in the Revolutionary War. My aunt has copies of his pension, which was like $1.00 or something pretty funny. On the other hand, I had another grandpa many years later that fought on the side of the Confederates.
I only know what all my relatives are telling me. The more companies that relocate or decide to set up house in the South, the more it's going to look like anywhere else and in some ways that breaks my heart.
I guess that eventually we will have a homogeneous language where everyone sounds the same. What a shame that will be. Luckily, I am old and will avoid that (and a lots of other things, thank goodness).
Good to see the younger generations with the smarts to refuse to be tax slaves to the state. Look now for Jon Carry and the Swimmer to be sticking their hands even farther into the federal treasury...
I'm from Mass. with family in Alabama. Interesting to look at the 2004 election results of both states. 37% of voters in Alabama voted for Kerry while 37% of voters in Massachusetts voted for Bush. What do the numbers mean? Can't say exactly other than there is a decent sized group of people in Alabama who liked Kerry and an equal percentage of people in Mass. who preferred George Bush. Not pointing out anything really profound here...just thought the numbers were interesting.
One of the things that saddens me about this homogenization is that the beauty of our little differences will be lost. My mom, a native NC, told me that when she was young there were huge differences in what people wore and how they talked (from state to state) but you don't see it so much now. She said TV was the cause and she was right; of course, there is far more media now. Combine that with the transplantation effect and voila, you have exactly what one sees now in Atlanta and places like Charlotte NC.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
It worked so well for the Soviets...
Hopefully they will wise up.It would be a bunch of years before they would turn the tide down here.
T'is true but their grand children will speak with a southern accent.lol
Emphasis on the taking families with them... Who the hell would want to bring their kids up in a State that thinks pillow biters are normal?? I'd get out as well...
Gee, and I thought it was cuz there are so many Massholes!
I cannot wait to get outta heyah!
Please excuse me for sticking my big possum nose in this discussion, but I'm a native of that Southern state and I can tell you that I would bet that darn few of those Alabama votes for Kerry were cast by whites (some of the pointy-headed college professors went for Kerry, of course, and their brain-washed student5).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.