Amid frustrations from some business owners about emergency orders, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she’s weighing case counts, vaccine development and other factors in determining how long the crisis will last.
Business Watch
Covering the intersection of business and policy, and informing Michigan employers and workers on the long road back from coronavirus. Our Michigan Economic Dashboard shows key metrics that show how the state is performing.
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Q&A: Michigan builders want state’s help to build affordable homes
New construction remains suppressed across the state, and low- to middle-income residents are bearing the brunt of the lack of affordable new homes. Bob Filka, CEO of the Home Builders Association of Michigan, hopes to lead policy changes to make more building possible at mid-range prices.
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Coronavirus kept us home, igniting real estate frenzy in northern Michigan
Prices are climbing and competition is fierce as traditionally slow areas of Michigan become real-estate hotspots. No longer geographically tied to their workplaces and enjoying low interest rates, buyers are sparking a ‘feeding frenzy’ in northern Michigan.
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Michigan businesses struggled during COVID. Customers are coming to rescue.
Spending is up, even amid a pandemic. And many consumers are keeping money closer to home, saving a coffee shop near Saline and increasing traffic in downtowns.
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Michigan lawmakers may tweak unemployment law to help employers amid pandemic
Michigan’s reserves to pay jobless claims are dwindling amid record unemployment claims. Starting Jan. 1, employers would have to pay more into the system, but some lawmakers want to avoid that prospect.
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Michigan economy is stronger than expected amid pandemic. Thank the stimulus.
Consumer spending is up amid the pandemic, as Michigan residents are spending federal bailout money designed to keep the economy going amid the pandemic. But state economists warn Michigan still faces tough times.
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Michigan’s permanent layoffs suggest thousands of jobs may be gone for good
Economists are starting to get data that indicate a longer, slower recovery period following steep job losses during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Michigan town wonders what’s next as factory closes and 125 jobs are lost
‘We need to find jobs that people can keep,’ says one store owner as the second-largest employer in Evart closed this summer. It’s just another blow to a community fighting for stability during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Study: Wage gap widens between Black, white workers, especially in Michigan
Both races make less than they did 40 years ago when adjusted for inflation. But wages for Black workers have declined more since the 1970s, in part because of a loss of manufacturing and widening gap in educational opportunities.
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Michigan’s auto industry struggled in Q2. CEOs say challenges remain.
A look at public filings shows that the leaders of the state’s largest auto businesses don’t yet see the end to COVID-19 slowdowns and sales contraction.