Michigan’s Economy: From Worst to Average

There's no question that Michigan's economy has performed poorly over the past decade. Essentially, the state lost one out of every five jobs since employment peaked in 2000. However, Michigan's economic trends have changed in recent months. It is no longer the worst performer in the country. In fact, since the end of the U.S. recession, Michigan's performance is average.

In the most recent recession, Michigan fell badly, with Nevada, Arizona and Florida, losing roughly 10 percent of its jobs. However, the recession has been over since June 2009, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, though smaller job losses continue.

From June 2009 to September 2010, Michigan lost a relatively slight 9,200 jobs, approximately 0.2 percent of its total. That's a little better than the national loss of 0.3 percent, and better results than 28 other states.

Time will tell whether Michigan's economy will grow again, but Michigan's trends are looking better.

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