In a commentary piece for the Michigan Advance, Rick Haglund explores a new University of Michigan study from economist Don Grimes that found Michigan workers earning far less than their counterparts in other states.
“Michigan also has fallen far below the nation and benchmark states in wages paid in private-sector, high-wage service industries. Those jobs paid an average $88,655 in the state in 2024, about $11,000 less than the national average.”
While the solutions are not simple or straightforward, Grimes offered a blunt reality: “Michigan needs to attract more rich people who can boost the state’s wealth with their own incomes and the wages their companies provide.”