MANDAN, N.D. - Everyone living in North Dakota knows we’re experiencing a historic time in our great state. Our state communities are growing, and we are leading the nation in economic development and job growth.
But North Dakota’s appeal is not just economic. We are No. 1 in the nation in several essential quality of life components.
According to a recent Gallup poll, North Dakota tops the nation for:
- Well-being;
- Satisfaction with schools;
- Residents who rate K-12 education as excellent or good;
- Finding a quality job; and
- Job creation.
We also rank as the happiest state in America.
Every day, North Dakotans get to enjoy an incredible quality of life in a state with great schools, family-friendly communities and wide open spaces with endless options to enjoy world-class outdoor recreation.
Add our growing and excellent arts and entertainment, culture, retail and restaurants, and it’s easy to see why people across the country and around the world are taking notice.
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In order to keep our robust economy growing, it’s essential that we attract permanent workers and their families to our state. Having an adequate workforce is the single greatest challenge facing our state’s business community.
Our labor force has grown by almost 20,000 workers since January, and there are still more than 25,000 jobs available in the state in industries like health care, technology, agriculture, construction, transportation, management, engineering, retail, energy and many others.
And, 65 percent of the available jobs in North Dakota are located outside the 17 oil-producing counties, which means our state is rich with career opportunities for jobseekers.
That’s why the North Dakota Economic Development Foundation began “Find the Good Life in North Dakota.”
Find the Good Life in North Dakota is a national workforce recruitment initiative funded by a private-public partnership between the state and our business community. We’ve joined together to reach out to veterans, transitioning military and unemployed and underemployed workers across the country, and tell them about the incredible opportunities they will find in North Dakota.
And so far, it’s working. More than 142,000 new users have signed up at JobsND.com, and we’ve heard from employers across the state who have hired employees as a direct result of our efforts.
As we continue working on this important initiative, I’m asking Herald readers to help us. No one knows what makes North Dakota great better than North Dakotans. If you know anyone from outside our state looking for a job or have friends or family members thinking about moving back, tell them about the excellent opportunities they’ll find in North Dakota.
They can find all the resources they need by visiting FindTheGoodLifeInNorthDakota.com.
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By working together, we can keep our state’s businesses growing and help new and returning residents Find the Good Life in North Dakota.
Goulet is chairman of the North Dakota Economic Development Foundation. Established by the Legislature in 2001, the foundation is intended to provide private-sector guidance and oversight of the state’s economic development efforts.
