For better and worse, the Michigan jobs market has been reliant for many years on the state of the U.S. auto industry. However, diversification is taking place both in manufacturing and the broader Michigan economy. In Detroit, jobs in high-tech fields such as robotics and “small-tech” research (i.e. microelectromechanical and nanotechnology) are helping to revamp the manufacturing sector. Biotechnology and healthcare are also of growing importance for the creation of jobs in Michigan, and demand is high in the state for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals.

Grand Rapids, MI, the second largest city in The Wolverine State, is a good example of how manufacturing is being supported by a growing health sciences sector. Furniture manufacturing has been a major provider of jobs in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but the area is also attracting medical research facilities and healthcare investment, creating a development sector known as the Grand Rapids Medical Corridor. An interesting economic fact: Michigan is one of the highest ranking states in the U.S. for number of charities and nonprofit organizations. There are approximately 400,000 Michigan nonprofit jobs, which together account for about $10 billion in personal income.