[northstar22]

Originally Posted by magellan

Latest unemployment stats from BLS by city (April 2011):

Lansing/East Lansing: 7.6%
Grand Rapids/Wyoming: 8.1%
Ann Arbor: 6.2%
Kalamazoo/Portage: 8.2%
Holland/Grand Haven: 8.1%
Saginaw: 9.4%

U.S.: 9.0

Boooommmm!

We're below the national average? Are you kidding me?!?! GO MICHIGAN!!!!!

Thank God the economy is improving. At this rate, we'll be one of the best states for employment in the nation.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by northstar22

We're below the national average? Are you kidding me?!?! GO MICHIGAN!!!!!

Thank God the economy is improving. At this rate, we'll be one of the best states for employment in the nation.

The State as a whole isn't, but many of the cities I listed are.

I should add though, that even though Detroit is higher than the national average, it had the largest decline in unemployment of any metro area in the country from April 2010 - 2011 (-3.0%). Some cities actually went up (New Orleans, Miami and Memphis).

[EastBoundandDownChick]

Ann Arbor is a great place to find jobs if you've got the right skill sets. Several of my family members live in the area and tell me about the opportunities that exist there. However, they also have told me to be careful to be sure it's a high paying job, as the COL is rather high compared to other parts of the state. Great news, though, and a definite bright spot for our state economy!

[canudigit]

Originally Posted by EastBoundandDownChick

Ann Arbor is a great place to find jobs if you've got the right skill sets. Several of my family members live in the area and tell me about the opportunities that exist there. However, they also have told me to be careful to be sure it's a high paying job, as the COL is rather high compared to other parts of the state. Great news, though, and a definite bright spot for our state economy!

I live 20 min. outside of AA, and the COL here isn't high at all. Housing is still a bargain, and things like groceries and utilities aren't any higher than any other small town/rural area. Yes, if you want to live in the thick of the action, which most younger people like you probably would and understandably so, then it will be higher than a lot of other parts of MI, but if you don't mind living 20 min. away, bargains abound and the COL is very reasonable.

[barney_rubble]

Originally Posted by northstar22

Ninety-one dollars an hour is excessive, but I still think the Big Three should pay more than $14 an hour. I agree that the unions needed to make concessions on pay, but I still support a living wage for automotive employees. Paying your workers more leads to increased quality -- I don't see anything wrong with paying people a little more than market rates. I don't see $14 an hour as a living wage for some people. A single, childless person would do fine, but a person with kids, mortgage payments, etc. would struggle to get by on that pay.

Also, why don't CEOs and executives ever consider cutting their own salaries when their businesses are in trouble? Why do they always have to screw the little guy over?

This is a very pleasant academic argument. I certainly agree that jobs paying $28/hr would be better than jobs paying $14/hr. However, the latter are still significantly superior to no jobs at all. And that's the alternative. If manufacturers can produce elsewhere for less, they will do so.

Maybe the Big Three "should" pay more. But attempting to return to the old system can only harm Michigan. Those days are gone, and they aren't coming back any time soon.

[Cliffie]

I heard this morning driving to work that they're hiring 2400 people for the Hamtramck plant. This is more like it.

I agree strongly wuith the poster above who points out that $24-per-hour jobs ultimately hurt the city. In fact, I heard recently that the average auto-worker's wage is $52/hr. And we wonder why Cherry Automotive and Honda will have nothing to do with opening plants anywhere near the city?

[EastBoundandDownChick]

Originally Posted by Cliffie

I heard this morning driving to work that they're hiring 2400 people for the Hamtramck plant. This is more like it.

I agree strongly wuith the poster above who points out that $24-per-hour jobs ultimately hurt the city. In fact, I heard recently that the average auto-worker's wage is $52/hr. And we wonder why Cherry Automotive and Honda will have nothing to do with opening plants anywhere near the city?

It also has to do with the business tax rate, which has been reduced- thank God. That alone is very, very good news for the state

[Dave Wojo]

Originally Posted by Cliffie

I heard this morning driving to work that they're hiring 2400 people for the Hamtramck plant. This is more like it.

I agree strongly wuith the poster above who points out that $24-per-hour jobs ultimately hurt the city. In fact, I heard recently that the average auto-worker's wage is $52/hr. And we wonder why Cherry Automotive and Honda will have nothing to do with opening plants anywhere near the city?

Is $24/hour really that bad as a starting, entry level wage for assembly line, factory work? Is $14/hour? I agree, there ia little motivation for manufacturers to move to the area.

[canudigit]

Originally Posted by Dave Wojo

Is $24/hour really that bad as a starting, entry level wage for assembly line, factory work? It actually seems a bit high to me.

I think that poster mistyped that. The actual starting wage for new workers on the assembly lines for all three of the Big Three is around $14/hr., not $24/hr. They are making basically half of the base hourly wage of the other people on the line who were hired in the past. That average wage of $52/hr. would be with overtime and holiday pay figured in, because even the most senior line workers make a base of around $30/hr.

$14/hr. isn't great, but it's a job, and it keeps the Big Three more competitive with the lower paying foreign competition, who are traditionally non-union and pay around the $14/hr. mark and also don't have the huge overhead expense of thousands of pensions to retirees, since they either don't offer pensions or don't have enough retirees yet for it to be a problem. I wouldn't necessarily appreciate working next to and doing the exact same work as my co-worker for half as much money, but it has to beat sitting at home with zero prospects waiting for the unemployment to run out, right?

[ram2]

Do lower-paid workers mean consumers will see lower new car prices?