Jobs, Housing Costs Forcing Millions To Flee California; Most In 100 Years
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Is the sun setting on the Golden State?
KNX 1070's Bob Brill reports for the first time in nearly a century, the majority of people living in California were born here.
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More people are leaving California at a faster rate than people who are moving to what is still the most populated U.S. state, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data.
Emigration to the state plunged to 20 percent last year, marking the first time in 100 years the majority of people living in California were born in California.
Population figures from 2010 actually resemble 1900 rather than the boom of the 1950's when California was a hot destination.
One of the major reasons for the shift is the lack of jobs throughout the state -- due partly to companies either relocating elsewhere with the promise of lower taxes or once-thriving industries such as aerospace drastically downsizing their operations.
Housing costs are another factor cited by economists.
The tectonic population shift may also have long-term consequences: experts warn many of the state's best-educated and well-trained workers could take their skills elsewhere.
