I Like The Way You Move

This is a map of intra-country migration involving Kent County during 2008 using data from the IRS. Black lines show inward migration and red lines show outward migration, with net moves of less than ten people entering a given county excluded. (Via Forbes.com.)

It's alarming that these moves tend to be almost exclusively cross-country. Beyond what appears to be significant hopping around in Michigan, people who move away basically skip over the remainder of the Midwest as well. Now, the heightened regional effects of the recession and unavailability of jobs, locally, certainly plays some role in this trend, but I'm more interested in effects than causes, here.

Don Peck had an unsettling article in March's Atlantic about the long-term societal effects of unemployment:

The worst effects of pervasive joblessness—on family, politics, society—take time to incubate, and they show themselves only slowly. But ultimately, they leave deep marks that endure long after boom times have returned. Some of these marks are just now becoming visible, and even if the economy magically and fully recovers tomorrow, new ones will continue to appear. The longer our economic slump lasts, the deeper they’ll be.

If it persists much longer, this era of high joblessness will likely change the life course and character of a generation of young adults—and quite possibly those of the children behind them as well. It will leave an indelible imprint on many blue-collar white men—and on white culture. It could change the nature of modern marriage, and also cripple marriage as an institution in many communities. It may already be plunging many inner cities into a kind of despair and dysfunction not seen for decades. Ultimately, it is likely to warp our politics, our culture, and the character of our society for years.

The article goes on to discuss the long-term effects of unemployment on mental health, correlations with spousal- and child-abuse rates, etc.--essentially, the really, really bleak picture of what recession looks like at the individual level. Related to that, I think, is the current availability, normalcy, and regularity of the cross-country move. When I think about relocating, I think about staying within a proximity of 'home' that would allow for a do-able day trip to see the people and things that define 'home.' But, this is not the case for the vast majority of recession-triggered movers. A broad trend toward uprooting oneself from 'home'--that is, removing oneself from the possibility of an impromptu Saturday voyage to see family and old friends--could certainly also have implications for our culture and ability to form and sustain meaningful communities.

:( What a depressing ribbon-cutting ceremony for this blog.