Report says focusing on regions could boost Michigan prosperity

(Michigan Advance) There really is no such thing as a state economy.

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But states are a collection of regional economies that have widely varying demographics, living standards and needs. First-time visitors to Alpena and Ann Arbor would be forgiven for thinking those cities could be in different states. Grand Rapids and Flint are as economically different as, well, Grand Rapids and Flint.

Michigan’s statewide seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate in July was 5.8%. But July jobless rates in the state’s regions ranged from 4.4% in Grand Rapids to 6.8% in Monroe.

That points to why Michigan policymakers should empower regional efforts to boost prosperity across the state, a recent report by the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan contends.

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While the state’s population has been basically flat for years at about 10 million, population trends vary regionally. A 13-county West Michigan region surrounding Grand Rapids added nearly 128,000 residents between 2010 and 2023, according to the CRC report. Conversely, a seven-county region mostly including the Thumb and Flint, lost nearly 41,000 residents in the same period. .............(more)

https://michiganadvance.com/2024/09/20/report-says-focusing-on-regions-could-boost-michigan-prosperity/