Where do People Work in Michigan?

Michigan has long been home to the automotive industry, with its largest city—Detroit—being nicknamed the Motor City. While the automotive industry has earned the state fame, it definitely isn’t the only job market available to the people of Michigan.

Michigan is a extremely rich state for a variety of industries, including finance, healthcare, food and agriculture, technology, and even aerospace.

For those looking to relocate to the state, or for those who are just joining the workforce, we’ve compiled a list of the top industries in Michigan.

Manufacturing

Recently, Detroit was listed as one of the best in the nation in terms of establishing advanced manufacturing and new engineering jobs. Since 2009, the manufacturing industry has grown over 37%, making it one of the largest industrial sectors in the state. This industry employs approximately 19% of the Michigan workforce.

Food and Agriculture

Considered to be one of the top-three industries in the state, food and agriculture creates a large job pool in Michigan. Spanning a wide range of mini-industries, it is one of the most varied trades in the state. Food processors alone contribute approximately $24.5 billion to the state’s economy on a yearly basis, making food and agriculture one of the most lucrative businesses in the state.

Automotive

The state didn’t earn recognition for the automotive industry for no reason—obviously, the automotive industry is an important line of commerce for the area. While it suffered a severe drawback in the early 2000s during the financial crisis, Michigan’s automotive industry is in the middle of a serious comeback. The industry has added over 500,000 new jobs in the last five years and plans to add even more in the next five years.

Aerospace and Aviation

Michigan made the list of the top ten locations in the nation for aerospace and aviation recently, with no surprise. A stable business market began drawing in a wide range of industries over the last decade, and with the manufacturing resources and capabilities offered by the state, in addition to manufacturing-friendly tax laws and business climate, aerospace and aviation is currently on the rise.

Tourism

With the ever-growing tourism rate in the state of Michigan, it should come as no surprise that tourism is a booming industry. In fact, the industry accounts for approximately 214,000 jobs across the state and provides an average of $2.4 billion to local and state agencies.

While these aren’t the only industries available to Michigan’s residents, they do seem to be the most popular. With the ever-growing population and constant corporate investments flowing into the state, Michigan’s job market shows no indication of slowing down any time soon.