MichMash: New research explores Michigan’s path to a prosperous future
New research from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan explores various important factors that are central to the state’s future success.
An aerial view of downtown Detroit.
What are the keys to a prosperous Michigan? Eric Lupher, president and secretary of The Citizens Research Council of Michigan, sits down with MichMash host Cheyna Roth to discuss the major issues affecting the state’s future.
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In this episode:
- The state of Michigan’s population in comparison with the rest of the country
- What Michigan can do to attract people to the state
- What Michiganders should make a priority in 2024
Michigan’s Path to a Prosperous Future is a five-part series of research papers from nonprofit Altarum and the Citizens Research Council of Michigan looking at different elements in Michigan that are central to the state’s success. The purpose of the papers is to provide a data-informed vision of where the state is currently and where it could be.
The series started with taking a closer look at the state’s population, of which Lupher says “only West Virginia is growing at a slower pace than Michigan.”
He also specified that the state isn’t actually losing people, rather, the state’s population growth is declining.
“We haven’t been growing at nearly the rate the rest of the country is collectively,” he said. “When you dig into the numbers, it is the 20 to 35-year-olds, 20 to 40-year-olds [who we are focused on]. It’s thinking about the workers of the future.”
Lupher says many jobs will not be filled and our services might start to decline if we do not have people to fill these jobs, because the population directly affects the workforce and consumers.
The papers also cover infrastructure, demographics, workforce, environment, public services and other important topics.
More from MichMash:
- Detroit Evening Report: New census data shows slight population increase in Michigan
- Detroit Today: Do corporate tax breaks create quality jobs in Michigan?
- Detroit Today: State Sen. Stephanie Chang looks to reduce Michigan’s prison population
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