Whitmer Statement on Monthly Jobs Report
Press Release
Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued the following statement after the release of the latest economic numbers showing Michigan's unemployment fell to 4.1% in August, the lowest since March 2020. Over the last 12 months, the state added 135,000 jobs, the unemployment rate has decreased 1.9 percentage points (6.0% to 4.1%), and average weekly manufacturing earnings increased 13.4%.
"Our economy is on the move, and this week's Detroit Auto Show is the latest sign that Michigan is the best place to do business. We are competing for every project and every job, bringing big projects and bold investments to Michigan, and proving to the world what is possible with cutting-edge technology.
"Because of our hardworking people, innovative businesses, and resilient communities, our unemployment rate is now at the lowest rate in years and the economy added 135,000 jobs in the last year alone. We still have a lot of work to do, but we have the momentum.
"We will stay focused on competing for every job and project to shorten supply chains and make us less reliant on China, cut down on costly delays, and create opportunities in every region of our great state. Let's keep getting it done."
Governor Whitmer's Chips Leadership
The recently-signed, bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act provides a new, powerful tool in Michigan's economic development toolbox. Semiconductor chips are a vital component of products people use every day. The global shortage of these chips, exacerbated by the pandemic and supply chain constraints, has impacted people and industries across the country from auto manufacturing to consumer electronics, home appliances, medical devices, agriculture, defense and more.
Increasing domestic chip production near automakers and other manufacturers will spur innovation, reduce inefficiencies, and avoid costly delays, helping Michigan attract long-term, sustainable investments from companies around the world. Governor Whitmer also signed an executive directive instructing state departments and agencies to leverage all available resources from the CHIPS and Science Act to continue bringing in projects and jobs to Michigan.
In the past year, Michigan has secured significant investments in semiconductor and polysilicon manufacturing.
Hemlock Semiconductor, a leading provider of high-purity polysilicon products for the electronic and solar power industries, plans to add 170 good-paying jobs at its headquarters Thomas Township.
KLA, a global semiconductor firm, opened their headquarters in Ann Arbor creating 600 good-paying jobs.
Wacker, a chemical and polysilicon firm, opened a cutting-edge innovation center in Ann Arbor creating 300 good-paying jobs.
SK Siltron, a semiconductor wafer manufacturer, announced a new facility near Bay City, creating 150 good-paying jobs.
Calumet Electronics, one of a few American manufacturers producing organic substrate components for microelectronics, announced an expansion creating 80 jobs in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Governor Whitmer's Investments in Skills Training & Workforce Development
Governor Whitmer has worked across the aisle to make higher education, skills training, and apprenticeships more affordable and attainable. She established and funded the bipartisan Michigan Reconnect program, which has put over 100,000 people on the path to tuition-free higher education or skills training. In the recent, bipartisan budget the governor signed, Michigan funded $10,000 scholarships for 2,500 future Michigan educators every year and offered school districts funds for Grow Your Own Programs, helping them train staff for teaching positions, tuition-free. The budget also expanded scholarships for Michiganders pursuing higher education at one of the state's public universities and built on the administration's work to increase apprenticeship and Career and Technical Education slots across Michigan.
Governor Whitmer's Fiscally Responsible Leadership
In the last four years, Governor Whitmer has signed four balanced, bipartisan budgets. She has paid down nearly $14 billion in debt without raising taxes on working families by a dime, cut taxes for small business owners, and enacted economic development legislation empowering the state to compete for billions in investment and tens of thousands of jobs. Recently, the state also received a credit rating upgrade from Fitch, its first in nearly 10 years, indicating strong economic growth.
Governor Whitmer's Investments in Manufacturing & Energy
Since the governor took office, Michigan has announced 25,000 good-paying auto jobs, including 10,000 in 2022 alone. According to Bloomberg, Michigan is in the midst of a "manufacturing boom," and is the #1 state for energy job creation.
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