Posted on 03/15/2011 8:20:03 AM PDT by Tom Rounder
Living on the harsh, wind-swept northern Great Plains, North Dakotans lean towards the practical in economic development. Finding themselves sitting on prodigious pools of oil—estimated by the state's Department of Mineral Resources at least 4.3 billion barrels—they are out drilling like mad. And the state is booming.
Unemployment is 3.8%, and according to a Gallup survey last month, North Dakota has the best job market in the country. Its economy "sticks out like a diamond in a bowl of cherry pits," says Ron Wirtz, editor of the Minneapolis Fed's newspaper, fedgazette. The state's population, slightly more than 672,000, is up nearly 5% since 2000.
(Excerpt) Read more at newgeography.com ...
“Nobody wants to mention ND’s homogeneous population as a reason for their success. Let’s just say when there’s no illegals and no inner-city thugs you’re bound to be successful.”
The vast majority of North Dakota’s population has Northern European ancestry, Scandinavian and German. In addition, many are only 2 or 3 generations removed from their pioneer ancestors on the Dakota frontier. Self sufficiency is still valued but a tradtion of helping your neighbor also prevails. Nobody in Fargo or Grand Forks sit around and waits for the government to come and save them from the blizzard or the flood. It is a good place to live and raise a familly.
North Dakota’s prosperity need not be limited to their state.
This portion of the article says it all :
What accounts for the state’s success? Dakotans didn’t bet the farm, so to speak, on solar cells, high-density housing or high-speed rail. Taxes are moderate—the state ranks near the middle in terms of tax per capita, according to the Tax Foundation—and North Dakota is a right-to-work state, which makes it attractive to new employers, especially in manufacturing. But the state’s real key to success is doing the first things first—such as producing energy, food and specialized manufactured goods for which there is a growing, world-wide market. This is what creates the employment and wealth that can support environmental protection and higher education.
I don’t see why such sensible policies can’t be applied to such states as Ohio or Pennsylvania.
I was walking down a street in Fargo one night when I was jumped by a band of thugs. They all had those brass helmets with horns on them. “We’re the Norskis and we want your lutefisk!” One of them held a herring to my throat. I peed just a little bit.
I couldn’t tell you. I don’t live there. I just like making fun of states other than my own. :) Seriously though, if I was interested in capitalizing on this oil boom there, I’d think about owning or managing an RV park near these construction sites. These sites are usually remote and don’t have an abundance of rental homes and apartments nearby for the many out of state workers who man these jobs.
That’s the eastern half. The western half, which features Teddy Roosevelt National Park, is a lot more rugged.
got to monster.com and put your resume up. If there is a space for location preference, specify ND. It works best if you have had a little bit of oil field experience, but many companies are willing to train.
Sounds good to me. Too bad it’s cold enough to freeze a well-digger’s behind. I live about as far north as I can tolerate.
Not as young in body as I am in mind.
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