HELPING EMPLOYERS FIND THE TALENT THEY NEED FOR SUCCESS Southeast Michigan's workforce is high-tech, versatile, mobile, and educated. The region also has the highest concentration of employment in the state making it a hot-bed of economic activity. In 2014, employment reached 2.26 million individuals and the labor force reached 2.46 million and counting. New graduates from the region's world class universities and colleges build up the already high-skilled labor force in Southeast Michigan. With over 60% of the workforce holding a post-secondary certificate or more, the region boasts the most highly skilled manufacturing, IT, and engineering talent across the nation. Because of the concentration of these workers and their families, health care is also major contributor to the labor market ensuring the highest quality care for the region's workers.
A COMPETITIVE EDGE
The 9-county region surrounding Detroit, Flint, and Ann Arbor is home to one of the most concentrated engineering and skilled trade labor markets in the world. And this high-tech workforce is growing. Since 2009, engineering and industrial design employment grew 35.5%, employment in the skilled trades grew 30%, and information technology employment grew 16.5%, nearly all recovering to their pre-recession peak levels. The competitive edge lies in the concentration of these workers: 3.7 times the national concentration of engineers and designers, 2.4 times for skilled trades, and 1.2 times for IT, all in Southeast Michigan.