Young Michigan workers heading for the coasts

This map published by the Washington Post shows the “brain drain” that has hurt Michigan and many other Rustbelt states. Most of our state has seen a long, slow slide in population in the 25-34 age demographic.

Most of southeast Michigan is treading water while the Sunbelt and coastal areas, including the oceanfront areas throughout the Carolinas, have received an abundance of young people.

The Post points out that young workers who are at the age to start families are a key driver of economic growth.

Here is how the Post explained it:

“… Births still account for much of the nation’s population growth, more so than immigration or the declining death rate. Having a healthy population of people between the ages of 25-34 should be a good sign for a region, indicating that there is enough opportunity for people to want to settle down there.”

For states like Michigan, the decline in the 25-34 age bracket as a percentage of the overall population is a disturbing sign:

“In contrast, the Rust Belt and Appalachia saw big declines in the fraction of people 25-34, accompanied by increases in the median age. The story here is that young people have moved out, leaving the older residents behind, and without much immigration to plug the hole. The great challenge for these regions will be to bring back young workers, whether they’re native-born or immigrants. Because if nobody’s starting families in these places, the population will only continue to dwindle.”