HOWELL, MICH. – MARCH 24, 2016 — In collaboration with the Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN), Ann Arbor SPARK, the Economic Development Council of Livingston County (EDCLC), and the Howell Chamber of Commerce recently conducted a transportation survey of workers in Livingston County. More than 100 leading companies provided data on their open positions, wages, and worker transportation needs. The Hartland Chamber of Commerce and Greater Brighton Chambers of Commerce provided support to the survey process by circulating it to their members.
“The Ann Arbor SPARK and WIN survey shows that a majority of businesses in Livingston County have unfilled jobs and that many of these positions are entry level,” said Phil Santer, vice president, business development, Ann Arbor SPARK. “This insight shows that there’s a lot of employment opportunity here in the region, and that the businesses in Livingston County continue to grow and contribute to our economy.”
Noting Livingston County businesses have had success in attracting talent from neighboring regions, such as Flint, Santer added, “The survey results also show that there’s interest in collaborating on transportation in the region, to create a more worker-friendly infrastructure that will ultimately attract more talent here from outside the region.”
The Livingston County worker transportation survey was sent to businesses in Livingston County during December 2015 and January 2016. The results provide an interesting analysis of the need for entry-level labor in the region.
Nearly 53 percent of survey respondents indicated that they have unfilled jobs at their company. According to the survey responses, there are more than 830 unfilled jobs in Livingston County at 98 companies, or 8.5 unfilled jobs per company. Of those open positions, 72 percent are in the $10 to $16 wage range.
In evaluating the opportunity to expand transportation options for employees, more than a quarter of the respondents indicated that they are willing to collaborate with other area businesses on worker transportation.
Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with EDCLC on regional economic development efforts.
