The Chicago Tribune ran a page one story today on how the Midwest has higher unemployment and poverty than the entire rest of the country.
The poverty rate in Chicago is about 21%, but income still exceeds the Midwest by a significant amount.
The twelve state area shows much higher unemployment and poverty than the rest of the US. What the Tribune doesn’t report, and Crains did earlier this year is that economic growth in Chicago has barely averaged 1% for each on the last five years. This compares to the south of 3-4% and parts of the south west at 6-8%
Small town Wisconsin and Minnesota seem to have positive growth but the starting base numbers are very very low. The rest of the Midwest has no growth or negative growth and has for some time. Indiana seems to be doing well.
Things in Michigan and parts of Ohio are going to get much worse. The last bus and train is at the station in Detroit. If you are a dancer be on it while you can still get out.
So to sum up. The Midwest has low to negative growth. High unemployment and rising unemployment. Immediate prospects bad. Poverty rate is the highest in the US with the exception of West Virginia and Mississippi. Wages static and except for Chicago much lower than the US average.
Here are two things I’ve noticed in my travels recently. They are totally subjective soi can’t prove them I’m hoping some of you statistics types in New York can help out here.
Lets create a “bum index.” When I’m in downtown Chicago, the amount of bums has increased from five years ago. They are on almost every corner, which takes some doing because Chicago PD rounds them up and takes them away whether that is lawful or not.
I was in Washington DC a month ago and had not been there in five years. There was a high degree of bums on almost every street corner not patrolled by the Federal Protective police, and even some on the national mall museums which I had not remembered in prior trips.
Is the bum index up in your community? How do your prove it with statistics?



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