Michigan | Economic Development Report
TerraMetrics
May 9, 2026
Total Employment
645.8K
Resilience Score
80/100
Diversification
102/100
Net Impact (Probable)
+2.7K
Median household income $59K (-10.1% vs state median) -- significantly below state average, limiting consumer spending and tax base.
Unemployment 5.6% with 757,000 total employed. Poverty rate 22.2%.
AI Exposure Index: 78/100 -- high vulnerability to AI-driven workforce disruption.
Highest risk sector: Auto assembly (ICE powertrain elimination)
Metro jurisdiction -- larger government apparatus with more regulatory complexity.
Economic Vitality: transitional -- governance under economic transition pressure, policy uncertainty elevated.
Ecological stress score 63/100 driven by regional climate patterns and resource dependencies.
Housing median value $195K -- lower property values reduce but don't eliminate climate exposure.
28.2% bachelor's+ attainment is 5 points below the national average (33%).
88.4% high school+ completion rate -- adequate base but gaps remain in advanced skills.
No significant financial sector employment -- BTC adoption impact is indirect through consumer behavior and investment flows.
Median income $59K -- moderate crypto adoption potential aligned with national trends.
Research institutions (Wayne State University) provide local quantum/STEM workforce pipeline, though direct quantum compute facilities are rare outside major metro areas.
28.2% bachelor's+ rate limits local STEM talent pool -- PQC migration will depend on external expertise.
Government sector (9.3% of employment) -- federal CBDC rollout would first affect benefits distribution and government payroll here.
22.2% poverty rate means a larger unbanked/underbanked population. CBDC could improve financial access -- or create new surveillance concerns.
22.2% poverty rate strains community cohesion and institutional trust.
Population declining (-1.3% since 2020) weakens social fabric and civic institutions.
Signature: Automotive Manufacturing - Detroit metro anchor. Ford, GM, Stellantis headquarters and major Tier 1 suppliers.
Top Commodities:
Net employment change by sector under probable futures scenario. Green = growth, Red = displacement risk.
Attract remote-first tech companies and satellite offices by promoting quality of life, lower costs, and existing professional workforce.
Address healthcare worker shortages by building accelerated training programs, especially for AI-augmented care roles.
Attract robotics and AI-augmented manufacturing companies to leverage existing manufacturing workforce and retrain for higher-wage automation roles.
Position existing manufacturing infrastructure to capture companies returning production from overseas, driven by supply chain security concerns.
Under the probable future, this county's strongest opportunity is technology & remote work hub (feasibility: 83/100). The economic outlook is net positive with 2,655 potential new positions. Additionally, healthcare workforce pipeline scores 82/100 feasibility.
Ford Motor Company (Dearborn HQ)
General Motors (Tech Center, Warren)
Stellantis (Sterling Heights Assembly)
Henry Ford Health System
Corewell Health (Beaumont, Detroit campuses)
Rocket Companies (Quicken Loans/Rocket Mortgage)
DTE Energy
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Wayne State University
Detroit Medical Center / Tenet
| Company | Date | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lear Corporation | 2025-07-01 | 200 | layoff |
| Ford Motor Company | 2025-05-15 | 350 | layoff |
| Stellantis | 2025-03-01 | 500 | layoff |
| BorgWarner | 2024-07-15 | 120 | layoff |
| Stellantis | 2024-02-01 | 300 | layoff |
| Ford Motor Company | 2023-04-01 | 400 | layoff |
| Stellantis | 2022-12-01 | 350 | layoff |
| Beaumont Health | 2021-09-15 | 150 | layoff |
| Ford Motor Company | 2021-05-01 | 250 | layoff |
| Ford Motor Company | 2020-03-25 | 1200 | layoff |
Michigan Business Development Program (MBDP)
Performance-based grants for creating and retaining high-quality jobs. Michigan's primary incentive for large-scale proj...
grantState Essential Services Assessment (SESA) Exemption
Exemption from the SESA on eligible personal property for qualified high-tech, manufacturing, and corporate office facil...
exemptionPA 198 Industrial Facilities Tax (IFT) Abatement
Local property tax abatement on new or replacement industrial facilities. Reduces property taxes by approximately 50% on...
exemptionMichigan Strategic Fund (MSF) Job Training Grants
Grants to support customized workforce training for new and expanding businesses. Going PRO Talent Fund provides demand-...
trainingSmartZone / LDFA Tax Increment Financing
Technology-focused business incubators supported by local tax increment financing. Captures growth in local and state ta...
exemptionTarget Sectors
Active Programs
Recent Wins
| Name | Investment | Jobs | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rheinmetall AG (German defense mfg) | - | 450 | 2025 |
| Astemo Americas regional HQ | - | - | 2025 |
| Korea trade mission (27 battery companies) | - | - | 2026 |
| DRP cumulative: 100+ projects, ~$9B investment, 33K jobs | $9B | - | 2025 |
| Priority | Dimension | Action | Impact | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| critical | Education Value | Close the Skills Gap with AI-Ready Credentials | +6 | local |
| critical | Social Trust | Pre-Positioned Displaced Worker Rapid Response | +4 | local |
| high | AI > AGI > ASI | Convert AI Vulnerability into First-Mover Advantage | +6 | local |
| high | Social Trust | Targeted Poverty Reduction in Highest-Need Areas | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Pre-emptive Reskilling Pipeline: Auto assembly | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Sector-Aligned K-12 + Community College Pipeline | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Registered Apprenticeship Expansion: Manufacturing (auto) | +4 | local |
| high | AI > AGI > ASI | Universal Broadband for AI Economy Participation | +2 | federal |
| medium | Education Value | Sector-Pivot Scholarship Voucher | +3 | local |
| critical | Economic Disruption | EV Battery Supply Chain Anchor | +8 | local |
| high | AI > AGI > ASI | Healthcare AI District at Detroit Medical Center | +7 | local |
Total Impact
+55 pts
11 actions
Local Control
91%
10 of 11 actions
Critical Actions
3
highest priority
Impact estimates are modeled projections based on STEEPE dimension sensitivity analysis. Actual outcomes depend on implementation quality, timing, and external conditions.
Census CBP 2022, USDA Census of Agriculture 2022, Census ACS 2024, BLS QCEW, BEA County GDP, WARN Act Notices, TerraMetrics STEEPE Engine. Census ACS 5-Year 2023: Wayne County. BLS LAUS: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MSA. BEA: Wayne County Personal Income.
STEEPE Framework: A multi-dimensional disruption assessment covering Social, Technology (AI, Blockchain, CBDC, Quantum), Ecological, Economic, Political, and Education. Each dimension is scored 0-100, where higher values indicate greater disruption intensity. Scores shown in this report reflect the Probable scenario projection.
Resilience Score (0-100): How well-positioned a county is to absorb economic disruption. Calculated from economic diversification (40%), opportunity-to-threat ratio (35%), and average sector wage levels (25%). Higher scores indicate greater capacity to weather change.
Diversification Score (0-100): Economic diversity across industry sectors, based on the inverted Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI). A score of 100 indicates a perfectly diversified economy; lower scores indicate concentration in fewer sectors, increasing vulnerability to sector-specific shocks.
AI Exposure Score (0-100): Degree of exposure to AI-driven disruption based on knowledge worker concentration, tech company density, and manufacturing automation exposure. Higher scores indicate greater exposure, meaning both higher risk of displacement and higher potential for AI-driven growth.
Futures Cone (Probable / Possible / Preferable): Based on the Voros (2003) futures cone methodology. Probable represents where current trends lead (highest confidence). Possible covers what could happen across a wider range of conditions. Preferable describes the abundant future that proactive policy and investment can build toward.