4 ms·

But here's the thing: SV still needs 7-11 clerks, still needs fast food workers, still needs coffee baristas, and still needs all of those lower income position

But here's the thing: SV still needs 7-11 clerks, still needs fast food workers, still needs coffee baristas, and still needs all of those lower income positions. Automation is nowhere near eliminating all of those positions yet. So if all those people left, where would those businesses hire from?

ryanackley 9y ago
If more people said "F* this, I don't want to live out of my car" and then drove away to someplace cheaper, business owners would have to raise wages to attract people to either stay or move to the area. What I'm interested is why has the equilibrium been established where people who aren't making enough to have a decent standard of living choose to stay there.
- r00fus 9y ago
  Relatives? Kids? Friends? Essentially people are not really fungible. There are costs associated with migration.
- STRiDEX 9y ago
  These articles always find insane numbers. People pack into apartments and houses before leaving. I lived in Santa Clara right near the Caltrain tracks, which is in no way a ghetto area. But 2-3 bedroom apartments frequently had 4 or more cars and ~2-4 adults and 1-2 kids. Our apartment was a 3 bedroom 2 bath and was 2500 and we had 3 of us and 3 cars. This was my first apartment after college with two friends, was cheap for me as a junior dev.
- superb_herb 9y ago
  What makes you think there are jobs in cheaper places to live?
- s73ver_ 9y ago
  Again, with what money? And simply driving away to somewhere else doesn't mean there's going to be a job there that will let you afford an apartment.
- mrguyorama 9y ago
  It turns out, being poor is very expensive and when you have no money, you have no money to start over somewhere else.
bdcravens 9y ago
They'd pay more for what's left. The customers would in turn pay more. It'd be a crisis then apparently, but one the hiring class could subvert through higher wages across the board.

ryanackley 9y ago

If more people said "F* this, I don't want to live out of my car" and then drove away to someplace cheaper, business owners would have to raise wages to attract people to either stay or move to the area. What I'm interested is why has the equilibrium been established where people who aren't making enough to have a decent standard of living choose to stay there.

r00fus 9y ago
Relatives? Kids? Friends? Essentially people are not really fungible. There are costs associated with migration.
STRiDEX 9y ago
These articles always find insane numbers. People pack into apartments and houses before leaving. I lived in Santa Clara right near the Caltrain tracks, which is in no way a ghetto area. But 2-3 bedroom apartments frequently had 4 or more cars and ~2-4 adults and 1-2 kids. Our apartment was a 3 bedroom 2 bath and was 2500 and we had 3 of us and 3 cars. This was my first apartment after college with two friends, was cheap for me as a junior dev.
superb_herb 9y ago
What makes you think there are jobs in cheaper places to live?
s73ver_ 9y ago
Again, with what money? And simply driving away to somewhere else doesn't mean there's going to be a job there that will let you afford an apartment.
mrguyorama 9y ago
It turns out, being poor is very expensive and when you have no money, you have no money to start over somewhere else.

bdcravens 9y ago

They'd pay more for what's left. The customers would in turn pay more. It'd be a crisis then apparently, but one the hiring class could subvert through higher wages across the board.