West ’s Economic Rebound: A Complex Story

Since the peak of the Great Recession, unemployment in Unemployment by as well as nationally has fallen to levels not seen Disability Status

for over 15 years. However, these high levels of employment have – Employed – Unemployed – Not in Labor Force

not been shared by all members of our communities. Individuals 100% with disabilities, veterans, racial and ethnic minorities, rural 145,380 90% residents — there are many within our who are still actively (33%) 80% 66,147 42,773 (5%) seeking sustainable employment. How might we remove barriers 70% (61%) to employment throughout our economy? 60%

50% 651,716 40% (78%) Unemployment by County – March 2018 6,770 (6%) 30%

20% Allegan 4.1% (2,500 Unemployed) 35,730 10% (33%) Barry 4.2% (1,350 Unemployed) 0% Ionia 4.1% (1,225 Unemployed) With a No Disability Disability

Kent 3.4% (12,175 Unemployed) Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2012-2016 5-Year Estimates, Ages 18-64 in West Michigan. Lake 9.2% (350 Unemployed)

Mason 6.5% (900 Unemployed) Veteran Unemployment

Mecosta 6.1% (1,150 Unemployed) 2,200 47,325 Unemployed Unemployed

Montcalm 5.2% (1,500 Unemployed) 7.0% 6.7% Muskegon 5.5% (4,250 Unemployed) Veteran Nonveteran Newaygo 5.4% (1,275 Unemployed)

Oceana 9.0% (1,100 Unemployed) H

Osceola 5.7% (600 Unemployed) Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2012-2016 5-Year Estimates, Ages 18-64 in West Michigan. Ottawa 3.2% (5,075 Unemployed)

West Michigan 4.0% (33,475 Unemployed) Unemployment by Race Michigan 4.6% (227,000 Unemployed) 6,875 Unemployed 4.1% (6,671,000 Unemployed) 5,250 Unemployed 39,275 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics Preliminary Data. Unemployed

6.0% 9.6% 16.4% Technical note: Unemployment rates may differ from graph to graph for a variety of factors, including different data sources, timeframes, and geography of analysis. White Alone Hispanic/ Black or Not Hispanic/ Latino African Latino Origin American Alone

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2012-2016 5-Year Estimates, Ages 16+ in West Michigan. Education and Skills Lead to Economic Success

Educational Attainment Income by Education in Comparative $70,000 $61,776 We are comparing ourselves, in the data below, to 11 peer $60,000 $47,141 Combined Statistical Areas (CSAs) with populations within 30 $50,000 percent of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Muskegon CSA and over $40,000 $27,833 $32,946 10 percent of employment in Manufacturing. All* $30,000 $22,599 $20,000 #3 Buffalo NY $10,000 #5 West Michigan $0 Less than High school Some college Bachelor’s Graduate or #2 Rochester NY high school graduate or Associate’s degree professional graduate (includes degree degree #1 Hartford CT equivalency)

#7 Madison IN / #12 Harrisburg PA Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2016 1-Year Estimates, Louisville KY #4 Nashville TN Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Muskegon CSA. * ”All” refers to Per Capita Income for all education levels. #9 Greensboro NC

#6 Tulsa OK #10 Greenville SC Education by County #11 Knoxville TN #8 Birmingham AL Percents of Adults With... Less than a Education Bachelor’s High School Beyond Degree Percent of Adults with Education Beyond High School County Diploma High School* and Above Rank Region Value Nat’l Rank Allegan 9.9% 52.2% 21.4% 1 Hartford-West Hartford, CT 62.8% 42 Barry 8.3% 54.3% 18.9% 2 Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY 62.2% 48 Ionia 10.7% 50.3% 15.6% 3 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 60.5% 59 Kent 10.5% 64.6% 33.7% 4 Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro, TN 59.2% 73 Lake 17.9% 39.5% 9.0% 5 West Michigan 58.6% 78 Mason 8.5% 57.5% 20.8% 6 Tulsa-Muskogee-Bartlesville, OK 58.0% 89 Mecosta 10.7% 54.1% 21.2% 7 Louisville/Jefferson County Elizabethtown--Madison, KY-IN 57.4% 94 Montcalm 12.4% 48.8% 12.6%

8 Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL 57.1% 99 Muskegon 10.8% 54.4% 18.0%

9 Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point, NC 56.4% 105 Newaygo 14.2% 45.1% 14.3%

10 Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC 54.7% 115 Oceana 14.3% 50.0% 17.1%

11 Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN 52.9% 123 Osceola 12.5% 42.6% 13.0%

12 Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA 50.4% 139 Ottawa 8.3% 62.6% 31.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2012-2016 5-Year Estimates. * Aligns with Talent 2025’s Goal 2025. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2012-2016 5-Year Estimates.

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