When there is bad news, it is human nature to seek out any silver lining that it can. Human nature probably is serving Ohioans well when they see the latest U.S. Census numbers that show Ohio’s population growing at a sluggish pace. However, at least it is GROWING, there are three states that actually lost population.
But think about that, of all the states that grew, Ohio was the SLOWEST.
As the Dispatch reports,
“Ohio gained just 8,400 residents between 2010 and 2011, ranking the state 48th for growth…”
That is a .7 percent growth rate but it beats Maine, Michigan and Rhode Island which were the states that are losing people.
Unsurprisingly, the entire Mid West suffered from anemic growth rates while the South and West gained at a rapid clip.
Clearly, Ohio has a long way to go before it can show itself to be competitive again. As we like to make clear at the Buckeye Institute, numbers don’t lie. Neither do people voting with their feet.
Peope migrate to economic opportunity and away from stagnation.
As long as Ohio refuses to become a right-to-work state, its economy can’t help but be shackled by unions, thus insuring that its growth — in population and jobs — will be stunted.
The defeat of SB-5 this past November will also adversely affect Ohio down the road as it is a message to companies nationwide that we can control the runaway public sector.
The inability to reform the public-sector will also erode the competitive position of private businesses that are already here, thus prompting some of them to move to a state with a more favorable business climate.