Survey: Many Young Adults Leaving Long Island Due To Lack Of Jobs
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Thirty percent of young adults plan to leave Long Island primarily because of a lack of well-paying jobs, according to a new Suburban Millennial Institute study.
Survey Shows Millennials Leaving Long Island Mainly Because Of Lack Of Jobs
"We don't do a good job attracting employers to the region as well and that makes jobs more difficult to find," survey director Jeff Guillot said.
Long Island also has a real problem with affordability, Guillot said.
"Property taxes are extraordinarily high, some of the highest in the nation, quite frankly," Guillot said. "We need to find a way to be able to retain these folks and create an atmosphere where everyone throughout the region can afford to raise a family here."
The news, however, isn't all bad. Guillot points out that the survey shows 64 percent of those polled plan to stay on Long Island, citing family and social connections.
"While you have a mass exodus of millennials on the North Shore and the South Shore, you also have a phenomena that a lot of people ignore where population is growing, in the center of the island," Guillot said. "I think that is a very good thing."
Guillot still believes Long Island needs to do more to keep young people from leaving.
"We need to work harder as a region to be a better place to live, work and play," he said.
