Relocating for a Job: A Practical Use of the Data

by:  Nancy Brennan

There is an abundance of other data available on growth and wages which can also be used as the basis for making economic decisions. This information is not only of interest to economists, but to the average person as well. For example, if you are considering relocating to Wyoming from a nearby state, one of the most important things to know is the condition of the job market. Sources which can apprise you of the local job market include: Labor Market Information (in Wyoming, Research & Planning, a division of the Department of Employment provides this data), economic development boards, Chambers of Commerce and want ads in local newspapers. You can also examine America's Job Bank (http://www.ajb.dni.us) maintained on the Internet by the U.S. Department of Labor. America's Job Bank has links to a number of individual state job banks, including Wyoming's (http://onestop.state.wy.us/region.htm). The twelve Wyoming Employment Resource Centers can also be helpful; there are 1,800 state-level employment service offices nationwide.

Another thing to consider about relocating is how far your money will go in Wyoming, compared to the state you currently live in. Examine the cost of living, Consumer Price Index (CPI), state-level taxes and disposable income. Don't forget costs for housing, goods, services and transportation. Finally, examine the overall general characteristics of the state you are thinking of relocating to. Things like total population, gender/age distribution of the population, Unemployment Insurance (UI) and industry/geographic covered employment and wage data. Examine labor force data and employment/unemployment rates which are included in the annual average series from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. Some of this information is also available on the Internet (http://lmi.state.wy.us/).

Comparing the state you currently live in to its neighbors in the geographical region can be useful in determining the overall conditions of the economies of these states. This is not only of general interest, but can also be helpful in making decisions such as relocating for a job.


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