low unemployment

LOW UNEMPLOYMENT


At first blush this might seem rather worthless. The states with the least unemployment and their relocation potential. It seems few of you are going to go anywhere. However, this was a neat puzzle, so even if you don’t think the article is relevant, I enjoyed putting it together. I don’t know why these states have such low unemployment. It could be that the ethanol boom is keeping everyone employed. It could be they had very little real estate bubble. It could be they have an unusually high percentage of workers being indirectly paid by the feds. It could be a combination of all that, with perhaps a bit of “we entered the depression two decades ago and have adjusted since”. It would behoove you to do a bit of research if you did plan to move. Forewarned is forearmed. Also, this isn’t a perfect way to do things. In some otherwise unacceptable states, there will be pockets of low unemployment. For instance, Elko has only 7% unemployment while the state has 13%. But if you went to Las Vegas it would be closer to 20%. And even Elko has problems. We’ve lost Blockbusters, Payless Shoes, Chevron and now a Radio Shack ( their “going out of business, marked down price” for a roof top TV antenna was the same price as the everyday price at Home Depot-and they ain’t all that cheap. Gee, I wonder why they are going out of business ), and in a few months a satellite Post Office. The county is seeing a year to year 10% decline in gaming revenues and a 10% drop in overall sales tax revenue. Every state will be like this, so this is just a big picture view. Think of this as a starting point.

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The best areas in the country are the two Dakota’s and Nebraska. They are all around four and a half percent unemployment. Which is about as good as it ever gets in the modern economy. So for them to be under 5%, something is being done right ( perhaps not from a multi-generational survival standpoint, but at least from an employment standpoint ). The others in the top ten are around six and a half percent. Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Montana, Utah, Hawaii and Vermont. Basically, we have corn belt states and energy producers. Which leads one to conclude it is all about the power. I have no idea why Hawaii is doing okay unless the tourists are pouring in from China and her economic partners. However, not to burst your bubble as you are envisioning ten acres and a tractor, sucking off of Uncle Obammy’s Ethanol Teet, you might want to cross Iowa right off your list. High taxes and extreme gun control. Sales tax might be only 6%, but they make up for it in cigarette and income tax. Not that it should be any worse than most other places ( Texas might have no income tax, but the sin taxes are extreme and the property tax on junk land is 3% ), but coupled with their gun control I wouldn’t feel welcome. You must record private transfers, any purchases, there is no open pistol carry, only rural rifle carry, you must be licensed to carry a handgun in a vehicle and only the high and mighty get a concealed carry permit. About as bad as California ( that was for you, NoCal ).

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Hawaii isn’t much better. Their weapons restrictions are similar, but their taxes are worse. They are pretty high on their gas tax, cigarettes are an insane $3 a pack state tax. Tragically, beer taxes are insane ( six times worse than North Dakota ). And the state income tax can be as high as the Feds. I would discount those two, which just goes to show you that agricultural potential isn’t always the best criteria. Or a mild climate. I don’t know why Vermont made the list. Perhaps they are becoming a refuge from the surrounding crap holes ( in ways it might be it’s own type of crap hole-cig taxes and income taxes are tragically high- but in comparison…). They are about as lax as you can get on gun control. No concealed carry license needed. No paperwork on sales. Open carry anywhere. Vehicle open pistol carry, with long guns only needing to be unloaded.

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Utah is a bit strict on the guns, but not Gestapo strict. You can only carry open while hunting, but at least they have Shall Issue concealed carry. Sales, gas and cig taxes are about average, but the state income tax is high. Add in the religious nuttery, and the collapse potential to get even more extreme, I would put Utah near the bottom. My God, they want almost half the taxes on beer that Hawaii does! Going over to Montana, beer is cheap but cigarettes are highly taxed. The income tax can be as long as 1%, but as high as 6. Gun laws are reasonable. The state has its problems, from Commie enclaves in the west to freight train winds in the east, but what state doesn’t have its issues?

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Oklahoma and Kansas have very similar tax structures and gun laws ( with the exception that it is easy to conceal carry in Ok and not allowed in Kansas ). Around five percent sales tax ( keep in mind for all states-state sales tax is the base which the counties then add on to. In OK, some sales tax is ten percent after the county gets down raping you ). Gas tax is under two bits. Cigs are around a buck a pack, beer is in the lower to mid range, and income tax a few percent, maxing at 5. For the top three lowest unemployment states, all have 5% sales tax, give or take. A quarter for gas. The average beer tax is on the low end. Cigs tax is around fifty cents for ND and NE, but an insane $1.50 in SD. But! South Dakota has no income tax, whereas the other two are two to five percent. I think it would be cheaper to pay the sin tax. The gun laws there are weird. The Dakota’s want a license for a vehicle handgun but are lax on open carry and issuing concealed carry. Nebraska allows no concealed carry but is lax on open carry and vehicle carry. Those can be negated by local law, but in general I think that would apply to the urban areas and liberal enclaves.

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So there you have it, a general guide to relocation with unemployment, taxes and gun laws in mind. You may wonder why Texas didn’t make the list, being so energy rich. I would imagine it is a combination of half the state being barren or never emerging from the oil bust in the eighties ( combined with the S&L debacle ) and the current real estate bust. They sure have plenty of dirt cheap lots though. And of course, this doesn’t address the issue of whether you should even relocate or not. You know my stance-better to take the pain now than be stuck in at ground zero of the collapse later. But I do realize how tough it will be. I was late moving myself, the economic collapse was already almost a year old ( I moved summer of ’08 ). And it took me three times as long to find a job as usual. In previous moves, during boom or bust times, it never took me too long to find a job. Right in the middle of a recession, it didn’t matter. I always asked for below market wages for the position at hand and I had a history of stability at jobs and above average experience ( just not enough to get me disqualified for being a desertion threat ). I got in locally before it all went to crap, and I still had problems. I can’t imagine that it will be at all easy now. But, think how far down hill your area could go after a few more budget cuts. Sewer failures, lack of police protection, grid failure, etc. Do you think it is going to be any easier in a year? But, that is a personal decision and your position is unique. I’ll just try to help if you do decide to move.

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