Economy

NY State September 2011 Unemployment Maps

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It takes the NY State Department of Labor a long time to produce data on the Unemployment Rate. It usually is not released until the middle of the month proceeding month, so the data for September, was not released until around October 20th. The NYS DOL breaks unemployment data down by county, which is relatively easy to merge with Census TIGER Shapefiles, and produce some nice maps. Which is what I did.

Here is the NY State Unemployment Rate by County.

Wash me!

Notice how Rural Western NY has some of the lowest unemployment in the state, though the rate in Saratoga County, along with NY City suburbs of Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester Counties shows the economy is relatively strong in that portion of state too.

Unemployment tends to peak in the Southern Tier and also in the counties impacted by Hurricane Irene that month, e.g. those of the Catskills and the Central-Leatherstocking Region of state.

Here is the Change in NY State Unemployment Rate from September 2010 to 2011.

Plinkers

Notice how Western NY is creating jobs while the economy is stagnant or losing jobs in the regions impacted by Hurricane Irene. Those Hurricane-related job losses may be temporary, and not reflected in the October numbers, but they do suggest that there is a lot of growth occurring in Western NY, not occurring in the Eastern portion of state.

Also, note the weak economy in the Tug Hill Plateau region between 2010 and 2011. Unemployment has increased in Jefferson and Lewis County during that time period, while remaining stagnant in Oneida County. Definitely not good news in that rural part of state.

I probably will do a new series of maps come the release of the October numbers later in the month.

Should We As A Society Plan for the Future?

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If you want to make god laugh, tell him your plans.
— Van Zandt, Help Somebody

It seems like there is a lot of talk about planning these days. People are constantly urging us to make retirement plans on the radio, especially for the young. Cities are told they have to make 20 year solid waste plans, along with Comprehensive Plans through 2030.

Paint Mine Creek

What’s the obsession with plans? Why can not we as a society simply learn to live in sustainable ways today, and not spend so much effort focusing on tommorow? There is a difference between planning and sustainability:

Planning is…

  • Abstract plans
  • Based on a view of tomorrow by today’s ziegist
  • Educated guess based on today’s technology
  • Excuse for not doing things right today

Sustainability is…

  • Taking sensible steps today that are right for today and tomorrow
  • Not consuming more resources then we currently have access to
  • Avoiding debt unless it shows short-term benefit, and can be shown also to have a long-term benefit equal to payback time

There is a lot of talk about short-term pain for long-term gain these days. Yet, what should be the threshold for pain? While it would be irresponsible for us as a society and individuals, to ignore long-term consequences of our actions, it’s just as bad to scrimp today on false beliefs on what tommorow would look like.

Thru a Tree

Planners of all stripes are bound to take issue of prioritising sustainability over planning. They say, without a plan, how can you really know if your actions will lead you where you want? I disagree. Do what’s right for today, but also don’t destroy your world for tomorrow.

Credit Cards

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I rather amazes me how some people can run up these huge debts so quickly on credit cards through frivolous shopping. Some people are given the privilege and convenience of using a credit card only to get caught up in consumerism and outspend their ability to repay.

I have gotten offers frequently for credit cards throughout college, but those quickly ended up in the recycling bin. I felt credit cards where a waste of money and an unnecessary temptation that I did not want in my life. Yet, as I have grown older my opinion on these seemingly endless source of credit for people has changed.

I now see having a credit card as an important way to build credit by using the card for small purchases. I did not borrow any money for college so I have essentially no credit score and it’s something I want to build so some day I can have the money to buy land and money to build a farm.

Route 406

Recently, I went searching for a credit card online and shifting through the variety of offers. Unfortunately, I found that the number of offers I could get where quite limited, with a limited credit history. The cards with good perks where either declined for me or required a yearly fee. It turns out that nowadays getting a credit card has gotten more difficult.

Ultimately, I settled on a very basic Capital One card, the one that’s so heavy advertised to college students including myself. It was free to get and use as long as you pay the balance back right away. The ceiling on the card was very low, but that’s fine for me. I don’t plan to use my card to finance anything expensive — it simply is a tool for me to build credit.

There is one additional benefit to having a credit card. It’s great for limited emergencies, when you run upon a situation where you need more money then is directly available in your bank account. When I have my card I will very rarely use it for this purpose. I believe a credit card should only be used for emergencies until you can get the funds from a savings account or other guaranteed place that ensures that it’s paid off as soon as possible.

It horrifies me to see how some people use credit cards for thoughtless consumption. Yet, I realize there are many legitimate uses of credit cards to build credit scores and bona fide emergencies. I believe that with restraint, that’s often so lacking in our society, credit cards are a good thing.

Thrift Shops

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There is a view in our society that shopping at the Thrift Shop for clothes will somehow get you an inferior product, or will make you feel inferior. Yet, for some things, its make sense to look at a good thrift shop, and try to find out what you get can at a reasonable price.

Thrift Shops not only save you money on the clothes, they also save useful material from going to the landfill. Many people buy expensive clothing to wear for one or two occasions, only to stuff it in the dresser or hang it into their closet to be forgotten.

Some people have funny feelings about buy used clothing. It feels funny to think somebody else has worn a pare of clothing before you have put it on. Of course, our society is full of all kinds of creepiness and weirdness, if you only think about it. Be assured however, that used clothing places must either carefully wash or dry clean all their clothing before selling it.

When we choose to make do with what we have existing on our planet, and not demanding the extraction of new materials from the ground, its good for all of us. And while we cant survive entirely by shopping at the thrift shop, for the occasional blazer or suit pants, it might just fit the bill. And your saving the environment and a money at the same time.

Upwards

Our Low National Saving Rate

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One of the most concerning news stories of recent weeks is our low national savings rate. Last year it was a negative 1.6%. The previous year it was negative 1%. This year’s rate is the lowest in over 70 years.

For most Americans, that’s just another financial figure that goes in one ear and out the other. For some it’s not surprising, as they know first hand the impact of our mounting debt on their finances. They know what it feels like to be beholden to the bank.

Yet, for those who have a real understanding of this figure it’s pretty scary. It means we are spending more then we have money coming in. And a lot of that debt is not going to things that are improving us or building our country. It’s one thing to be borrowing money to get an education or buy an house or pickup truck, it’s another to buying more toys then you really need.

There is a lot of evidence that we are buying more toys then we need. We are too often sold consumerism and become blind to our own means or the costs of our consumption. Indeed, the personal financial transaction is minor compared to all the stuff we are amassing as individuals.

Roadway

All those material possessions had to come from somewhere. They involved the exploitation of some material whether close or far away from us. They may have or may not have brought money into the local community. More likely then not, these days, they didn’t. And then they have to go somewhere.

There is no problem with making investments into the future. Likewise, there is no problem with purchasing material goods. But we need to be reasonable at what we buy and realize that there is only so much we really need. We need to focus more on ourselves and our communities, and stop buying things.