New England is losing young adults at an alarming rate, according to a recently published report from the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute.
The study found that each state in New England has experienced at least a 20 percent decline in its population of 25-34- year-olds between 1990 and 2004.
Massachusetts is at the low end of the spectrum and has lost 20 percent of its young adults. Rhode Island has lost the same proportion, while Vermont and New Hampshire have lost 27, Maine 29, and Connecticut 30 percent during the period.
"The decline of the young adult population in New England has significant implications for the future labor force, economy and character in the region," according to the study.
University of New Hampshire Professor Ross Gittell, who authored the report, said the region is becoming less attractive to young people, including those in the Greater Boston area.
"I think there's a lot of evidence that limited housing availability and affordability is a strong factor for why young college grads don't choose to remain here," Gittell told the Daily.
"Boston doesn't promote itself and market itself to young people as much as other areas," Gittell said.
These other areas, which include North Carolina and Colorado, have been able to attract young adults.
With bolstered social offerings, Colorado has experienced a 17 percent growth in its young adult population and North Carolina has seen a nine percent expansion.
To see similar improvement in New England, several overlooked New England cities "need to think of more cultural amenities, such as music and clubs, to make themselves more attractive," Gittel said.
A prevailing perception of New England's urban environment as being inhospitable to young people parallels a similar trend of Boston job markets appealing predominantly to "high end, accomplished professionals" rather than the young people consistently attracted by the region's renowned higher education system, he said.
Contrary to the study's findings, a Tufts Career Services survey gauging where students hope to find employment shows strong interest in the New England region.
Still, Director of Career Services Jean Papalia said that the study only gauges where students would like to find work, not where they eventually end up.
Some of these students are finding that New England does not offer the types of specialized opportunities found in other regions.
Senior Dave Werth, a computer science major, is interested in working in New England, but he recognizes that the West Coast offers a more propitious environment for the work he is seeking.
"I don't mind living in New England, but there's a huge area of technical expertise and jobs in California, so it's a good idea to find jobs and make connections there," he said.
Another problem, according to Beverly Edgehill, President and CEO of The Partnership, a Boston organization that connects students of color with job opportunities, is that students who become too focused on life on campus often neglect to get acquainted with the cities where they will have the opportunity to work and live after graduation.
"Students are preoccupied with their work, so they miss opportunities for making connections," she told the Daily. "They don't plug into the civic and social life outside of campus."
The Carsey Institute's report echoes the findings of a study on talent retention published in 2003 by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, which classifies the departure of 80 percent of recent college graduates from New England as preventable.
To combat the movement of college students out of the region, the Chamber of Commerce has instituted "hub crawls," programs that pair students with prospective employers from over 1,700 member companies.
Vice President of Communications Erin Murphy said that the hub crawls help connect students with internships and career paths.
"Internships are a great opportunity for folks to kind of get a head start in figuring out what they have to do after graduation," she told the Daily.
Murphy said that these programs help students get a more realistic picture of potential employers.
"These students don't just meet Ph.D.s and people in white lab coats; they meet folks from all education backgrounds and levels," she said.
