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Things America's Strongest Cities Have in Common

13 points by all 16y ago

run4yourlives 16y ago
The fact that Buffalo is #4 really causes me to question the algorithms employed.
- Qz 16y ago
  Where did you get #4? The list is alphabetical.
  - run4yourlives 16y ago
    The fact that it is on the list at all is enough. Buffalo, with all due respect, is a hole.
allwein 16y ago
The list is also missing Pittsburgh, which has been doing great throughout the recession for the Eds and Meds reason as well.
- enjo 16y ago
  I was surprised not to see Denver on the list. Unemployment in the Denver metro has been pretty good throughout. I can't imagine more money has been spent in Medical than at CU's new medical center (it's an enormous complex that is nearly constantly expanding). Cost of living is higher I suppose. It certainly doesn't line up with my actual experience. I have extensive ties to Little Rock, and I just don't see any way that it's anyone can consider it a "stronger" city in any possible measure. Unemployment has been sky high, and continues to be a real challenge there (I have 5 or 6 college degree holding friends that have unemployed for more than 12 months). In Denver everyone I know has a job. I'd love to see more about their methodology.
aspir 16y ago
These are extremely insightful, but cheap labor (#5) should be moved up to #1. It could possibly stand alone. I know a lot of budding entrepreneurs and hackers who can survive on 20 hours a week at a typical job, which frees up so much time for work. I guarentee that each of these areas has done some sort of government speding other than the military, education, and life sciences sectors to boost it as well.
- aspir 16y ago
  *I forgot to include that I live in the Oklahoma City area, which is how I know the 20hr/wk people. Myself included.
- enjo 16y ago
  That's more cost-of-living than cheap labor is it not? When they're talking about cheap labor I suspect their not really talking about professionals either. The Baton Rouges, Little Rocks, and yes Oklahoma Cities of the world also have a much lower rate of college education in common. They have large swaths of blue collar workforce willing to work for cheap. I know, for instance, that a couple of overseas car manufacturers have opened up plants in Arkansas for this very reason.
  - aspir 16y ago
    I think you are correct with that one. I was thinking cost to maintain as a freelance or entrepreneurial hacker rather than traditional laborers.
prodigal_erik 16y ago
Insurance was insulated from the global meltdown? I thought AIG was ground zero. Were they just one big outlier?
- rdl 16y ago
  AIG failed due to AIG Financial Products, which sold overly-cheap high risk derivative Credit Default Swaps on mortgage-backed securities, not due to their core insurance business. CDSes are insurance of a sort against default risk, but they didn't involve actuaries, a real risk model for pricing, etc. All the other parts of AIG were actually doing quite well.

13 points by all 16y ago

run4yourlives 16y ago

The fact that Buffalo is #4 really causes me to question the algorithms employed.

Qz 16y ago
Where did you get #4? The list is alphabetical.
- run4yourlives 16y ago
  The fact that it is on the list at all is enough. Buffalo, with all due respect, is a hole.

allwein 16y ago

The list is also missing Pittsburgh, which has been doing great throughout the recession for the Eds and Meds reason as well.

enjo 16y ago
I was surprised not to see Denver on the list. Unemployment in the Denver metro has been pretty good throughout. I can't imagine more money has been spent in Medical than at CU's new medical center (it's an enormous complex that is nearly constantly expanding). Cost of living is higher I suppose. It certainly doesn't line up with my actual experience. I have extensive ties to Little Rock, and I just don't see any way that it's anyone can consider it a "stronger" city in any possible measure. Unemployment has been sky high, and continues to be a real challenge there (I have 5 or 6 college degree holding friends that have unemployed for more than 12 months). In Denver everyone I know has a job. I'd love to see more about their methodology.

aspir 16y ago

These are extremely insightful, but cheap labor (#5) should be moved up to #1. It could possibly stand alone. I know a lot of budding entrepreneurs and hackers who can survive on 20 hours a week at a typical job, which frees up so much time for work. I guarentee that each of these areas has done some sort of government speding other than the military, education, and life sciences sectors to boost it as well.

aspir 16y ago
*I forgot to include that I live in the Oklahoma City area, which is how I know the 20hr/wk people. Myself included.
enjo 16y ago
That's more cost-of-living than cheap labor is it not? When they're talking about cheap labor I suspect their not really talking about professionals either. The Baton Rouges, Little Rocks, and yes Oklahoma Cities of the world also have a much lower rate of college education in common. They have large swaths of blue collar workforce willing to work for cheap. I know, for instance, that a couple of overseas car manufacturers have opened up plants in Arkansas for this very reason.
- aspir 16y ago
  I think you are correct with that one. I was thinking cost to maintain as a freelance or entrepreneurial hacker rather than traditional laborers.

prodigal_erik 16y ago

Insurance was insulated from the global meltdown? I thought AIG was ground zero. Were they just one big outlier?

rdl 16y ago
AIG failed due to AIG Financial Products, which sold overly-cheap high risk derivative Credit Default Swaps on mortgage-backed securities, not due to their core insurance business. CDSes are insurance of a sort against default risk, but they didn't involve actuaries, a real risk model for pricing, etc. All the other parts of AIG were actually doing quite well.