Things are especially dire in the Upper Peninsula, where a quarter of prisoners are housed but nearly three-fourths of staff assaults happen and as many as 1 in 3 positions are open.
Michigan worker vacancies
In this occasional series, we examine the scope of critical worker shortages in 2023, from doctors and police officers to math teachers and social workers.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan not alone in prison crisis: ‘There’s no one silver bullet’
Michigan has tried raises, bonuses, and prison safety initiatives, but nothing has moved the needle on corrections officers vacancies. No state has found a lasting solution.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Providers face ‘extreme shortage’ of paramedics, EMTs in rural Michigan
Paramedics and EMTs regularly handle the state’s worst medical traumas and receive wages similar to fast-food workers. Even with state assistance to promote workforce development, gaps remain.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
EMS providers battle money, staffing woes in rural Michigan’s ambulance ‘deserts’
Rural emergency medical services in Michigan are burdened by the high cost of keeping crews ready and insurance payouts that fail to cover calls. Hospital closures and mergers and a lack of local dollars aren’t helping matters, leaving local residents in a bind to keep services afloat.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan can ease doctor shortage by raising pay for primary care, group says
The Michigan State Medical Society has weighed in with a 14-point plan to address health care provider shortages that are leading to long waits and higher costs.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Report: Michigan lags in preparing students for mental health careers
Michigan is tied for the fewest behavioral health vocational training programs in the nation, contributing to a school mental health workforce shortage.
Posted inTalent & Education
Short staff, Michigan schools use virtual special ed therapy. ‘This is not ideal’
As school leaders see an increase in students with disabilities, they say there aren’t enough speech professionals to go around. Virtual therapists are a ‘stop-gap’ solution.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Desperate for doctors: Michigan looks to expand who can provide care
Lawmakers are trying to ease dangerous short-staffing in health care by tweaking laws — expanding the ability of some mid-level practitioners and, in some cases, creating new types of workers.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan gains 28k residents, reversing losses to other states
For the first time in decades, more people moved to Michigan from other states in 2025 than vice versa, according to new US Census Bureau Estimates. International migration was the primary population growth driver.
Posted inBusiness Watch
‘Silver tsunami’ of retiring business owners leaves Main Streets at a crossroads
Michigan still adds more businesses than it loses, but business is slowing down as nearly 1 in 4 proprietors reach retirement age.