Shift happens and the past few years have seen millions of Americans move from one state to another. One of the biggest shifts in population has been working professionals moving from Red States to Blue States. Media folks are calling this the “Red State Brain Drain.” But what exactly is causing this and how does it impact your Paycheck?
Here’s Five Fast Facts About Brain Drain:
- 👩⚕️ Abortion Laws - More than half of all practicing OBGYNs in Red States that recently enacted pro-life laws are close to retirement age. About 63% of those remaining said they are not likely to look for more work in their current state. The number of applicants for Red State OBGYNs has dropped 11% in those states, twice as much as those in Blue States.
- 🏜️ Through the Desert - The result? It’s causing the spread of what’s called “maternity care deserts,” or areas with no hospitals or facilities that offer obstetric care. For example, 46.5% of Texas counties and the majority of Oklahoma and Mississippi are deserts. In many cases, the nearest hospital is over an hour away.
- 🏫 Class Dismissed - Teachers and professors are quitting and/or leaving at increased rates, too. Texas teachers are quitting at a rate that’s 25% above the national average. In Florida, 47% of all college professors said they are looking for positions in other states.
- 🚚 Red Shift - But wait! Idaho, Montana, Florida, Utah, and South Carolina – all red states – have the biggest net population growth while New York, California and Illinois are losing the most net population. Residents say it’s due to cheaper housing and a lower cost of living rather than politics…but those things are often connected.
- 📈 Tax Gain - At the same time, New York, California, and Illinois are also experiencing the largest net gains of college graduates and they pay more than twice as much in taxes. Maybe it's a quality taxpayer over quantity taxpayer that they’re shooting for, right?
🔥Bottom line: Birds of a feather flock together and people like living around others who think like they do. That’s all well and good buuuuuuut losing skilled professionals can make basic services more costly and harder to find.
Have you ever considered moving for political reasons?
Let us know by connecting with us on Facebook and Instagram! Also, remember to share this newsletter with your friends & coworkers!
Btw, If you’ve read this far and haven’t yet signed up for the weekly Paycheckology newsletter, CLICK HERE!
