The state is loosing its children by the thousands, according to this story.
Louisiana has 129,798 fewer residents under age of 18 than it did in 2000.
And the number of women ages 18 to 44 has fallen by 10 percent since 2000--that's a loss of 96, 145 young women. That means that state lost a lot of women who are in their child-bearing years--if they aren't here they can't have kids to make our state, populous right?
Right.
Experts say that some of this is due to the hurricanes, about 60,000 women left in the year after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
To top it all off, the state is gaining residents 65 and over.
Wow.
Maybe this explains why little old men always try to talk to me in grocery stores.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
I think the young people are leaving in droves because there is nothing here for us. Nothing. I'm planning my escape ASAP.
Really? What would you like to be here that isn't here already? I mean, I'm not from here and this place is totally different from where I come from, but most everyone I talk shares your concerns.
They all want to leave. Why not try to stay and make it better?
I always like to hear specific reasons, too. Half the people I hear complain about this only go to the movies or go drink beer at bars when it comes to socializing. I'm sure that's what they'd in the next town they go to. I know there are likely other aspects of the nothingness out there, but what's the deal?
I don't particularly care about socialization. My issue is that there is a very limited field here for what I do. I have to move to a different place to get the sort of job I want and really kick off my career. The only jobs here are in the medical field or service industry.
Other issues: Crime is the biggest, I don't feel safe at all here. I personally know way too many people who have been assaulted, robbed, raped, or what have you. And the area is too conservative for me. I'm liberal, I'm secular, I'm the type that enjoys good philosophy over coffee. There are very few like-minded people here to keep me company.
Plus, when you are FROM somewhere, you don't want to stay there your whole life. You want to get out and explore the world, move to bigger or smaller cities, that sort of thing.
This place is just going nowhere.
Oh, and I almost forgot. All the strip malls. We have a generic, corporatized culture. It's pretty boring. Homoginized. I don't care about having a Target and a Wal-mart. Identical to so many other places.
You should hunt ghosts.
Many of my high school classmates and/or peers usually leave because of the lack of real career options and job opportunities.
We go off to college and get these degrees, ready to take on the world, only to come home and find that the only real starter job opportunities here involve working at a casino or plant or in retail or some small business, depending on who you know and what your field is.
I was fortunate, but so many aren't and when you compare it to bigger cities or even more progressive cities of comparable size, it's just no competition.
I'm ALMOST willing to bet at least 30 to 40 percent of Dallas and Houston populations consist of Louisianans. Not because it's a better state in general, they just have better job opportunities. And where there are better jobs there's usually a better quality of life.
Then again, I know folks living in some of these bigger cities that would strongly disagree with that last statement.
Anonymous: I understand your concerns about job opportunity and having like-minded companions. I really do.
But coming from a larger city and being one who's traveled a lot I can tell you two things: 1) Crime here is NOT bad in comparison to where I'm from. Crime is omnious and everywhere you go people will be killed, raped, robbed, etc. You can not escape it. 2) Targets and Walmarts are also everywhere. They are here to stay!
After I receive my masters degree it is going to break my heart to leave Shreveport and LA, but I'm basically being forced out. There aren't many opportunities for me to utilize my bachelors degree, and the jobs in my graduate field are being held captive by folks who have had them for 25, 30, 35 years. I've worked a 25K gig for the past three years and it's simply not enough money (and I'm single with no children). I applaud those who are able to support a family on a paycheck from a minimum-wage or entry level job. It seems like the only industries where you can flourish here is engineering, medical, or manufacturing. I am not interested in establishing a career in those areas. So I'm doing what I need to in order to use my talents where they would be most suited.
Just to throw in my two cents, I left LA for a job. I don't, however, plan on going back to north Louisiana. South Louisiana, maybe. To be honest, I'm looking towards Texas for my next move. Or Hawaii ;)
Post a Comment