By Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan is known the world over as the home of the Motor City and the driver of America’s auto industry. In the twentieth century, we put the world on wheels, assembled the arsenal of democracy, and built the middle class. Through ups and downs, we have built on that reputation, and I was proud to announce recently that we have secured 40,000 new auto jobs since I took office. We are reclaiming Michigan’s automotive dominance and creating good-paying jobs that uplift communities of color across Michigan to build the future of cars, components, and batteries.
Michigan was a beacon of hope and opportunity for millions of workers, including Black families who came from the Deep South as part of the Great Migration, searching for decent jobs and a good life. Thanks to them and so many others who crossed state lines and oceans, we became a powerhouse of manufacturing.
Then, the challenges: globalization, automation, recessions, a pandemic, and decades of disinvestment in the fundamentals. They hit us hard, but we managed to save our auto industry. When I took office, we changed the narrative by working across the aisle to equip Michigan with new economic development tools to compete for the next generation of manufacturing projects, bring supply chains home from overseas, and create good-paying jobs.
Now, our work is paying off. Michigan is home to 26 major car companies, and the auto industry adds $304 billion to our economy every year. In 2022, Michigan made 21% of all cars in the United States, meaning 1 out of every 5 American cars rolled off an assembly line in Michigan. Private companies are investing $44 billion in the state to build new factories and cutting-edge projects.
We are not a one-hit wonder either. We are broadening our industrial strength into other sectors, like clean energy. Today, Michigan is a national leader in the clean energy race, with $21.3 billion in projects; the #1 state for energy sector job growth; a top 10 state for business; and #1 for foreign direct investment job growth over the past 5 years.
We are committed to ensuring Michiganders from every background can get these good-paying jobs. A bevy of programs—the Community and Worker Economic Transition Office, EV Jobs Academy, Mobility Talent Action Team, Battery Job Training Program, and MI EV Scholars Program—are upskilling Michigan’s workforce and connecting workers to the skills they need to work good-paying auto jobs. We delivered on the Michigan Guarantee, which offers every single high school graduate two years of in-district community college for a degree or skills training certificate—tuition free.
Together, we can build on Michigan’s proud manufacturing heritage and make it a beacon of hope and opportunity for a new generation of workers. We can help more people get the skills they need for good-paying jobs they can raise a family and retire on. We can keep our foot on the accelerator and continue driving towards a bright future for every Michigan community.
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