[RetiredArmy]

The economy sucks. Our county is a prime example. Story in the local rag yesterday said that our county in Alabama has two of the five largest losers of population in the state in the last year. They cite the economy and lack of jobs. Our county lost a military base in 1999 thanks to Slick Willie. They have severely cut back the military work at the Depot here also causing loss of hundreds of jobs and the contractors there have severely cut also.

We have very little industry. Everything is service sector type jobs. There is no future here. All the kids are moving away looking for job opportunities. Since I was a kid, this home town of mine has lost from around 35,000 down to a population of about 22,000+ according to the story. The town right next to my old home town has about 21,000+. The county itself has lost about 25,000 from a population several years ago. Again, jobs, jobs, jobs, opportunity for young people.

THAT is the very reason I left here for over 35 years and did not return until 9 years ago because of the low cost of living here. We bought a very nice house that would have cost us $75-90,000 more where we left in WA state coming here.

No, the economy sucks. Unless you live in a great tech place. Normal jobs are gone overseas. That is one of the things that also killed jobs here. The textile industry here was big. Now, all gone. We had manufacturing jobs here, thread mills that made tons of stuff. Now all those are long long gone overseas. Hundreds, a few thousand jobs GONE overseas.

[eastforker]

I retired and left Texas and recently moved here to Alabama up in the NE corner of Jackson county in a small town called Stevenson. I could not afford to retire where I lived in Texas.

[SaveFerris]

I understand that situation completely.