A demographic disaster in Puerto Rico: in what States to resettle migrants

A demographic disaster in Puerto Rico: in what States to resettle migrants

Long before the devastating hurricane Maria Puerto Rico caught up with another disaster – economic. During the past ten years the number of inhabitants on the island decreased by 11% and the economy contracted by 15%.

It has become one of the worst cycles of economic decline and depopulation in postwar American history, and projections show that everything is just beginning.

And then came Mary.

Now, even when officials in Washington and Puerto Rico take care of the restoration of the island, it is expected that the people will massively leave, fuelling the economic downturn and creating a vicious circle.
«We are witnessing the transformation of the demographic crisis and demographic catastrophe,» the Washington Post says Lyman stone, an independent scholar migration and economist, Department of agriculture.

And it is already being felt on the mainland.

The city is especially popular among young Puerto Ricans: Orlando (FL), Hartford (CT), Springfield (mA) preparing for a large influx of students, many of whom come from families living below the poverty line.
At a press conference last week the Governor of Puerto Rico Ricardo Rossello warned that without significant help «millions» can go to the mainland.

Those who leave, most likely, will be in Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania – these States in recent years were also the most popular among migrant Puerto Ricans.
«I’m not talking about hundreds of thousands or millions,» added Rossello.

Puerto Rico Will require substantial debt forgiveness to recover from Hurricane Maria? Definitely, says this expert
https://t.co/edqwsklkJ9 pic.twitter.com/SKwxP7e1NO

— Forbes (@Forbes) November 12, 2017

In some States of America in the twentieth century there has been a strong demographic decline. So, for seven years in the 1950-ies the number of people living in West Virginiadeclined by 8%. New York has lost 4% of its population in the 1970-ies. In 1950-e years, Arkansas lost 11% of the population, but these figures still do not compare with what is happening in Puerto Rico.

Only about 40% of local residents are working or looking for work. Finally, the inability of the government to repay the debt of more than $ 70 billion requires a new financial plan which will affect the tax rate. Even with some optimistic predictions, the plan predicts a long recession.

«People say, I don’t want my children to grow up in, where the economy will be destroyed within 10 years», — said the chief analyst of the Center for the new economy San Juan, Sergio M. Marxuach, adding that the island needs a massive Federal investment.
Leo Aldridge, a lawyer with offices in San Juan and new York, describes the migration after Mary as «the Jet Blue revolution: people buy tickets and fly.»

However, according to Aldridge, the problem appeared long before the hurricane. When he taught at the University of Puerto Rico, students are constantly asked how to find work on the mainland.

«They came to me and asked: what do I need to do to leave the island? It was all to Mary. People go, go and go…».

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