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Wyoming's Energy Boom Attracts Laid Off Auto Workers

Posted by: maryereynolds

14 September 2006 - 8:00am

Blue-collar Michigan workers leave the land of the sagging auto industry to work in Wyoming's energy boom.

Wyoming is aggressively recruiting workers from Michigan for its coal, oil and natural gas industries. This year, Wyoming has targeted job fairs in Flint, Lansing and Grand Rapids. State economic development officials believe that Michiganders, like Wyomingites, have a blue-collar work ethic, and have an inner toughness, "that can only come from surviving harsh northern winters."

"A lot of people are afraid to take a chance," says Eric Chapdelaine, age 33, who moved to Wyoming and now drives a cargo truck to coal mines and drilling sites. He continues, "But you’ve got to make it happen — or sit back and let it happen."

Full Story: Flush With Jobs, Wyoming Woos Rust Belt Labor
Source: The New York Times, September 13, 2006
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