KALAMAZOO, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – Where’s the best place to find a job in Michigan?
According to Dr. Brian Long, director of Supply Management Research at Grand Valley State University, it’s within the triangle of Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties. Citing numbers from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, employment grew over a 10-year period at rates of over 20 percent in Ottawa County, 15 percent in Allegan County, and near 15 percent in Kent County.
In his monthly interview with Gary Stevens on “WHTC Morning News,” Dr. Long said that, despite efforts to diversify the regional economy, the staple industries of auto parts and office furniture keyed the job surge. “These companies were very well positioned to take advantage of the market that was there,” he explained, “but we have to believe that the environment for business in West Michigan is also a major contributing factor. It all comes down to the total cost of doing business, and we have a lot of firms that said that this is the lowest place in the whole world to do business (here) in West Michigan.”
What makes these numbers stand out is the decade-long employment drop off of 11 percent in Muskegon County and nearly nine percent in Van Buren County.
