Mandating nurse-to-patient ratios in Michigan hospitals could have dire effects for patients, and it will not solve the workforce shortage.
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 inBusiness Watch
Michigan is spending to fill critical worker gaps. Here’s what’s needed
Some worker shortages hurt more than others, and state leaders are rushing to try to make it easier to fill vacancies from paramedics to special ed teachers.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan has just half the child psychiatrists it needs amid health crisis
Child psychiatrists oversee the care and medication of some of the most complex mental health cases. And yet Michigan has only about half the specialists it needs amid a surge in anxiety and depression among young people.
Posted inTalent & Education
Finding a fix for Michigan’s special education teacher shortage
Michigan schools do not have enough special education teachers, leaving many students without the services they need. Higher pay may help, as would lowering barriers for college students to teach in the speciality.
Posted inTalent & Education
How Michigan schools are trying to attract 1,000 or more new bus drivers
The state is pumping millions of dollars into the education budget to help school districts fill bus driver vacancies. Even so, pay remains a hurdle, so some districts offer gas cards, rideshares and public transport options.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Wine apprenticeships? Michigan’s worker shortage makes businesses get creative
Tired of not finding trained workers, some Michigan businesses are using state funding to grow their own with apprenticeships.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
In Michigan mental health crisis, a tug-of-war over too few social workers
Michigan schools, mental health agencies and hospitals fight over too few social workers. Could relaxed licensing, better pay help?
Posted inTalent & Education
Lack of school counselors hobbles Michigan college enrollment efforts
Michigan is pulling out the stops to get more people in college. But a shortage of high school counselors and advisors trained to explain the application, financial aid and college-going process poses a challenge.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Munson to trim inpatient services at rural northern Michigan hospitals
Munson Healthcare, northern Michigan’s largest employer, will be limiting services at rural hospitals while boosting them in Traverse City. Officials cite staff shortages and rising patient demand for virtual options.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan has more job openings than workers. Are retirees the answer?
In Roscommon County, fewer than 4 in 10 adults are in the workforce. The northern Michigan vacation haven is symptomatic of a statewide worker shortage crisis that has some looking for creative solutions.