Business Watch

Saltillo was once prized for its colonial architecture. Now, this Mexican desert city is flanked by a sprawling vista of tiny stucco homes, where first generation auto workers scrape to join the middle class.

Steelcase moved manufacturing to Mexico to save on labor. Herman Miller and Haworth have largely stayed put, with few regrets.

Well-paying jobs in manufacturing, health care and engineering are plentiful in Michigan, but our high school grads still lack the goods to grab them. Experts urge more focus on raising math and problem-solving skills.

Southeast Michigan is poised to get a share of $1.3 billion in U.S. economic development grants. Lisa Baragar Katz, executive director of the Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeastern Michigan tells Bridge how the money should be spent.

Cherries dumped in ditches? Polish imports? With the National Cherry Festival in full swing, one cherry producer is left with a sour taste.

The state’s colleges and universities – and even its high schools – are magnets for international students. Can they be persuaded to stay?

New federal income statistics allow workers and businesses to compare how far their paychecks will stretch in different cities and states.

A conservation group squares off against Encana over frack drilling near a Michigan fly fishing haven.

Michigan has seen explosive growth in hydraulic fracturing, bringing a mix of high-paying jobs and environmental and health concerns to rural communities.

Oil and gas field workers average $64,000 in Kalkaska County, a region where unemployment still tops 10 percent.

One indelible image related to hydraulic fracturing – that of a homeowner setting his own water on fire – has dogged the fracking industry since the release of "Gasland," a documentary.

Fracking’s economic benefits are weighed against the potential risks to Michigan’s environment and public health.

Young adults are far more likely than past generations to opt for public transportation or ride sharing than to buy a car of their own, a trend carmakers have been slow to address. In this book excerpt, Micheline Maynard offers Ford, GM and their competitors a blueprint for remaining relevant and profitable.

If the rescue of Detroit automakers served as a thank you to President Obama’s political base, his embrace of alternative modes of transportation offers a gesture to the future.

Republican lawmakers don’t want to be seen as supporting tax increases. Democrats want to blame Gov. Snyder for Michigan’s crumbling infrastructure. The result: a shortage of lawmakers willing to lead the charge for better roads.

Many in Michigan’s business community favor increasing fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees, saying crumbling roads make it difficult to do business, and attract new businesses and visitors to the state.

Michigan’s harsh winters and surrounding Great Lakes are difficult foes, even for roads built to German highway standards. But lessons abound

In the last eight years, roads have taken a pounding, with Michigan spending the least in the nation on road work. Use our searchable database to find the current condition of roads in your community.

Michigan spends less per capita on roads and bridges than any other state in the nation, and it shows. Experts say the state needs even more than the $1.3 billion requested by Gov. Snyder to make long-term improvements. Legislative leaders aren’t convinced.