We can argue over population estimates versus census data, but this ClevePD article points out a simple truth: international/foreign-born immigration is the only way Midwest cities will grow. Cleveland in particular, but nearly all other Ohio cities need international immigrants if they are ever going to grow again. Is this the right answer? If so, what will it take to attract international immigrants to Ohio's cities in larger numbers?

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/07/cleveland_lost_nearly_10_perce.html

 

Cleveland lost nearly 10 percent of its population this decade, census data shows

 

Some cities will be toasting the decennial census next year, celebrating population gains and a bright future. But it's likely there will be no champagne corks popping in Cleveland City Hall. The city is losing people at an alarming, trend-setting pace.

 

To see more, click link

A number of cities have established "welcome centers" for new immigrants to assist their newcomers in the process of getting settled.  We should do this.  That said, we are already behind the times.  Philadelphia opened its welcome center in 2003. Indianapolis opened a similar center in 2005. You get the point. Those two cities have respective 6 year and 4 year headstarts on Cleveland. And when you are talking about attracting immigrants that headstart is critical because as history has shown, immigrants settle in groups  and once one person from a group goes to a city, it is likely that others will follow (see, e.g., Chinatowns, Little Italys, and other ethnic enclaves common in American cities). So though establishing our own welcome center will put us ahead of cities that have not yet done so, we will not be a leader in this movement. This means, in my view, we must go further. We must engage in conduct that will make our city a leader in attracting immigrants. We must, as MBA-types like to say, become "top of mind" among internationally mobile.

 

I think good way to do this (and a logical extension of the domestic welcome center) is to establish welcome centers in the areas of the world that produce a large amount of immigrants. Yes, this requires money, people, and time, but the potential pay-off is worth the risk. My conception of this involves a small office space staffed by one or two Clevelanders and one or two "locals." Informational pamphlets about what Cleveland offers culturally, geographically, etc. and then information on how to start a business, obtain loans, navigate the government (a hopefully reformed and more open government), etc. Just as Jorge Delgado at the Cleveland Foundation is bringing Cleveland to international companies (with success), the city must bring Cleveland to the world's immigrants in waiting.

 

I think this is one way, among many others, that we can reestablish Cleveland as a destination for high-volume immigration.

Yes, immigrants do target places where jobs are readily available. BUT, it is also true that (a) immigrants tend to be entrepreneurial, thus create jobs, and (b) jobs have a way of following people. If you'll recall, there was a PD article this past January (I believe) about an Irish bio-med company opening its U.S. offices in Cleveland. And if memory serves, one of the reasons they decided on Cleveland (in addition to the tax breaks) was the availability of talented employees and the proximity to the Cleveland Clinic. This is a perfect example of the jobs following people instead of people following the jobs.

 

Ohio's immigration current immigration needs are much different than they were at the beginning of the 20th century. Industry and jobs it produced allowed the world's poor to move to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Toledo, Akron, and Columbus and achieve the American dream. Well, given (a) Ohio's industrial decline, and (b) industry's need for skilled rather than unskilled laborers, massive immigration of the world's impoverished will not have the uplifting economic effects that everyone imagines when they claim that immigration is the answer to Ohio's demographic problems. Therefore, we need skilled migrants with the intellectual capital to be job-creators instead of job-fillers. The majority immigrants of the early 20th century came to fill the jobs in Ohio's mills and plants. That is not today's reality. And this is why I think the state and its cities would be well served to establish these international welcome centers in the world's cities that are currently exporting large amounts of their educated and highly-skilled citizens. Doing this and attracting this type of immigrant creates a cycle of job and population growth that will feed off of itself.

 

Finally, to respond to the notion that Ohio would be better off if its population declined even more -- I don't think that would help the problem at all. One thing that Cleveland's decline has shown me is that the people who leave are the ones with the means to do so. Thus, though the population may now better reflect the job-base, those that are left are less able to provide for themselves and thus must rely on government assistance. So if further statewide population reductions would play out like Cleveland's has, we would be left with a smaller states that is much poorer per resident, which would create a whole host of financial problems I think none of us would like to see.

Growing a population with none educated immigrants is not a healthy way to grow population, and that is how most/all American cities are growing. It causes damaging economic issues that can't be reversed. Highly educated immigrants do not move in "groups", that is how none educated immigrants move. I work with many people who are not from the United States and most are from Europe & Asia with a very good education. They did not move here with a "group", they did not move here because they were seeking to be around people of the same ethnicity, they moved because there was an opportunity to take a position of interest to them. The United Stated is doomed if they don't change their thinking patterns, some say it is already too late, I agree. The U.S. is not a very insightful country, the box is so big that it is impossible to think outside.

^We are not innovators to the degree we think we are. The issue is that attracting immigrants means displacing jobs for a native Ohioan, and yes, many of the people we bleed are our most highly-educated. It's sad but it's true. Our state already is sinking, adding more population would only make it worse right now. For the same reason, you're going to see a reduction in birth rates.

 

America, say hello to 1990's Japan. This is the reality of economic depression. Of course in America, it's much more than that. This is a country overextended beyond all limits, with infrastructure and a military empire that in no way can be maintained. This might not be a depression, this might be a downfall.

 

Case in point, Ohio is constantly adding highly educated immigrants, my workplace is a prime example. The people who are moving on the basis of "I can't find a job syndrome" are the least educated, not saying they are not educated, but are not capable of competing for a particular job for various reasons. The cream rises to the top... When I hear Americans saying they can't find a job and I see companies hiring educated immigrants... What is the problem? This isn't a case of a company looking for cheap labor, or a shortage of Americans who need jobs, but, it is about applying knowledge. Educated Immigrants displacing the locals where I live is not at all a bad thing!

 

Although in reality, the only people who are displaced by immigrants are the low wage jobs such as farm labor, unskilled factory workers and hospitality sector jobs such as cleaners & maids, etc.

You are editing you posts after and during my response, making it difficult to accurately respond to your posts, therefore I will move on to something more productive. Have a nice day!

I think it's too simple to say that Ohio 'should' attract only a certain type of immigrant, or that the trend is only that people are leaving Ohio. I am an example of a recent immigrant to Ohio (albeit, from Indiana), and many of my colleagues are from out of state. High tech/high-skill jobs do not limit the geographic range of potential employees to one city or county: no more getting your HS diploma, going down the street to the factory. Those jobs are few and far between (and have mostly moved to China); now you have have skills AND be ready to move.

 

This brings the quality of life and place issues to the forefront. Ohio is a wonderful place to live...for the people who are already here. But it does not strike me either as an inviting (Exhibit A: Anti-gay laws) or innovative place. For Ohio to attract migrants and immigrants, we need jobs and a sense of opportunity. A shrinking population certainly sends a message that opportunity is not knocking.

Ohio is a wonderful place to live...for the people who are already here. But it does not strike me either as an inviting (Exhibit A: Anti-gay laws) or innovative place.

Oh, like california.

 

My reference to immigrants was not directed to anyone who was already in the United States, I was referring to people from other countries, Italy, Japan, Russia, Israel, UK, etc.

Ohio is a wonderful place to live...for the people who are already here. But it does not strike me either as an inviting (Exhibit A: Anti-gay laws) or innovative place.

Oh, like california.

 

Gays might not be able to get married in California, but they can still get a civil union. Ohio has outlawed ANY legal recognition of gay couples. This discriminatory law doesn't exactly encourage people to migrate to the state.

the only real (semi)surprise i got from this census estimate round was that ohio's pop actually grew by 0.1%. i knew it was generally stagnant, but had thought it was slowly shrinking. so that's good news.

 

it also means if the best and brightest or whoever are leaving the state, at least they are being replaced. that's good too.

 

it will be interesting to see how many move-in's are immigrants or from another state. hmm, or is it that maybe the belief that some demographics of people tend leave ohio in droves is just wrong?

 

 

 

    United States Immigration laws and the minimum wage are two things that Ohio can't do anything about.

 

    Can you imagine what the year 1900 must have been like with no restrictions on immigration whatsoever and no minimum wage?

 

    1906 was the single biggest year for immigration into the United States. The depression years were the only time that the United States had a net emigration.

 

    The conditions that allowed for rapid growth are likely to never occur again.

 

    I wouldn't count on much foreign immigration to Ohio.

 

   

 

    "The only real surprise is that Ohio's population grew by 0.1%."

 

    This is due not really to new immigrants or new births but by old people getting older. The average age is going up. Our birth rates are below replacement rates, and immigration and emmigration are small. We are forecast to start losing population as soon as death rates catch up to the Baby Boomers. This is projected to occur in 2018.