The geographic footprint of Ann Arbor’s workforce may be different than you’d expect. In total, Ann Arbor is a “net importer” of jobs — meaning during the day, more people are commuting to work in Ann Arbor than are leaving. Data show that about 108,000 people drive into Washtenaw County to work, about 88,000 live and work in Washtenaw County, and about 65,000 people live here and work elsewhere. Over 1,000,000 people live within a 30-minute drive time of Ann Arbor.
Ann Arbor’s talent pool spans a much larger geography than you might think.
One Ann Arbor-based cybersecurity company employs more than 200 people living in Washtenaw County and throughout the region. Many employees are driving in from Detroit, Oakland County, Brighton, Howell, and other regions. It’s not uncommon for some companies to find talent willing to commute from northern Ohio or Windsor, Canada.
According to research conducted by the Chicago Booth School of Business, Ann Arbor ranks #11 for remote work nationally. According to this research, 37 percent of U.S. jobs can plausibly be performed at home (accounting for 46 percent of all wages). This ranking indicates a “readiness” to shift to remote work, with a high concentration of remote-ready employees in a relatively small population.
Over the past few years, remote work has provided Ann Arbor companies with the opportunity to access a larger and even more diverse talent pool which has increased applicants and helped to retain existing talent.
Embracing remote work has allowed some companies to expand their talent reach and gain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace – all while continuing to live and work in the Ann Arbor region.
Demographics and Data
Ann Arbor SPARK serves Washtenaw and Livingston counties, and our team has deeply rooted knowledge of both areas. In addition to providing exceptionally sourced county-level data, we can deliver custom reports that examine your unique business needs.
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