West Michigan Talent Assessment & Outlook
Talent Demand Analysis and Insights for West Michigan Education, Workforce and Business Leaders
A REPORT FROM THE TALENT DEMAND WORKING GROUPFIFTH EDITION | AUGUST 2018
2 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
About Talent 2025
Talent 2025 is a catalyst for an integrated talent development system for West
Michigan. Composed of 100 CEOs from the region’s 13 counties, the organization
strives to be a driving force for an ongoing supply of world-class talent by
convening leaders and organizations who will help shape a thriving economy.
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 3
7 Introduction and Purpose
8 Notes for the Reader
9 Executive Summary
10 Population
11 Migration Patterns
12 Educational Attainment
13 Commuting Patterns
14 Labor Force and Employment
16 Industry Jobs
18 Sector Focus
20 Agriculture
22 Energy and Construction
24 Health Care
26 Information Technology and Media
28 Manufacturing
30 Professional Services
32 Retail and Hospitality Services
34 Focus Group Insights
36 Real-Time Demand
38 Occupational Outlook
40 Forecasting Competencies
41 Sources
42 Appendices
Table of Contents
4 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
A Note of Gratitude
We wish to express our sincere appreciation and thanks to all those who supported this project:
Partners
Marcus Reason, DTMB, Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives
Norm Brady & Jen Schottke, Associated Builders and Contractors-West Michigan
Angela Huesman, Lakeshore Advantage
Marlene Brostrom, West Michigan Works!
Merri Bennett, Michigan Works! West Central
Joe Thiry, West Michigan Works!/West Michigan Tech Talent
Kristie Scarffe, West Michigan Works!
Christine McWain, West Michigan Works!
The 38 focus group participants
Talent Demand Working Group
Meredith Bronk OST
Jay Dunwell Wolverine Coil Spring Co.
Mark Lancaster EmploymentGroup/EG Workforce Solutions
Larry Murphy Varnum LLP
Benjamin Wickstrom Erhardt Construction
Bruce Adair Lakeshore Advantage
Michele Albright Ferris State University
Doug Bagley Ottawa Area Intermediate School District
Angie Barksdale West Michigan Works!
Mark Champion Grand Rapids Community College
Troy Farley Grand Valley State University
Jim Fisher PADNOS
Paul Griffith Michigan Works! West Central
Bill Guest Metrics Reporting
Angela Huesman Lakeshore Advantage
Kathy Mullins Grand Rapids Community College
Kaushik Nag Amway
Jennifer Owens Lakeshore Advantage
Jason Palmer Bureau of Labor Market Information & Strategic Initiatives
Julie Parks Grand Rapids Community College
Scott Powell Bureau of Labor Market Information & Strategic Initiatives
David Riley The Right Place
Dan Rinsema-Sybenga Muskegon Community College
Angela Roman Ferris State University
Karen Ruedinger Seidman Dean's Office, GVSU
Dave Smith The Employers' Association
Therese Thill The Right Place
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 5
Financial Supporters
Industry Sector Focus Groups
6 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 7
INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE
West Michigan community leader,
This is the fifth annual West Michigan Talent Assessment and Outlook report, the result of an ongoing
collaboration between employers, educators, economic and workforce development, the State of
Michigan, and civic, community, and nonprofit organizations across the West Michigan region.
The report is a critical component of Talent 2025’s effort to catalyze and align the talent system in West
Michigan, in order to meet the current and future needs of employers by providing actionable talent
demand data and analysis for stakeholders throughout the region’s talent system.
Previous editions of the report were embraced by stakeholders as a vital resource, both for investing in
training and development programs and for promoting in-demand occupations. Each year, we’ve made
strides to enhance the information and analysis included in the report in an effort to make it as impactful
as possible.
The current state of West Michigan’s labor market and the demands of employers has changed
dramatically since the release of the inaugural report in 2014. Today, regional unemployment stands
below that of the state, at just under 4 percent. Low unemployment levels observed across the region has
fostered a challenging environment for employers to find qualified talent at all levels — regardless of skill
or job experience requirements.
In an attempt to improve talent attraction and retention, many West Michigan employers have responded
to these emerging challenges by increasing wages, emphasizing company culture, investing in the
training and development of new and incumbent employees, and by developing talent pipelines through
partnerships with education and workforce organizations.
Contributing to regional efforts to ameliorate these issues, education and workforce organizations have
cultivated new training programs for semi-skilled and skilled labor, provided information to middle and
high school students regarding in-demand jobs and careers, and more.
Although this report evaluates a breadth of widely-used economic indicators from various
publicly accessible data sources, it is important to note that there’s no perfect metric to capture
the true demand or supply of the region’s talent. To this end, we’ve conducted focus group
sessions with employers across West Michigan in order to provide context to the trends identified
in this report. The consensus — according to a majority of the region’s employers — would
suggest an underrepresentation of the true demand for talent in the region, as there’s still a large
volume of vacant job opportunities throughout West Michigan.
We hope this report is beneficial to you and your organization, whether you are an employer, education or
training institution, or community organization. Thank you to our partners for their help in creating this
report. It is unique in the country and another manifestation of the collaborative nature of West Michigan.
Regards,
Kevin Stotts, President
Talent 2025
8 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Notes For The Reader
• All the data discussed, or illustrated in graphs and charts throughout the report, are available on
the Talent 2025 website in a useable Excel document.
• Industry-specific insights provided from employers at each sector focus group are clearly marked
within the respective industry cluster subsection of the Sector Focus component of this report.
Conclusions drawn from these focus groups reflect the feedback given at those sessions with
those specific employers. Thus, should not be interpreted as generalizations about all employers
within a given industry sector.
• On three occasions throughout this year’s report, we have included a callout box titled “Area
Comparison.” Using the list of peer communities that were identified in our previous report, each
of which is comparable to West Michigan in terms of population and industry makeup (these
areas have populations within 30 percent of the population of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-
Muskegon, MI CSA, as well as over 10 percent of employment in Manufacturing), allows us to
better understand and benchmark our region in comparison to similar areas throughout the
country. Background data for these regions can be found in Appendix 1. These 11 Combined
Statistical Areas (CSAs) are:
o Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL CSA
o Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY CSA
o Dayton-Springfield-Sidney, OH CSA
o Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, NC CSA
o Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC CSA
o Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA CSA
o Hartford-West Hartford, CT CSA
o Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN CSA
o Louisville/Jefferson County-Elizabethtown-Madison, KY-IN CSA
o Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY CSA
o Tulsa-Muskogee-Bartlesville, OK CSA
• Sector-level competency data was generated using the O*Net database and Talxcellenz©.
Importance and Level scores for the top occupations in the sector were averaged to create the
given competencies. Considering that updated long-term occupational projections will not be
released for the region until 2019, these estimates remain the same as those included in our
previous report. More on the methodology and the scores can be found in Appendix 3.
• If you have any additional questions on the data sourcing or methodology used throughout the
report, please contact Alex Andrews at [email protected]. We would be happy to
answer your questions.
Counties in the West Michigan region:
Allegan Montcalm Barry Muskegon Ionia Newaygo Kent Oceana Lake Osceola Mason Ottawa Mecosta
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 9
Executive Summary
• West Michigan experienced continued population growth over the year, adding over 13,000 new
residents to bring the population of the region to 1,595,965 — although this growth comes despite
continued negative net migration to counties outside of the state of Michigan. While the vibrant
communities throughout West Michigan continued to attract residents from other parts of the
state, West Michigan still saw a strong outflow of migration to the southern states of Florida,
North Carolina, and Mississippi. A trend which is expected to continue as the younger members
of the Baby Boomer generation begin to reach retirement-age, as these states continue to serve
as particularly popular destinations for our region’s retired residents.
• Educational attainment in West Michigan continued to move in a positive direction, with 58.6
percent of adults possessing some form of education beyond high school in 2016. Stakeholders
throughout the region are working to ensure that the labor force is prepared for the skills and
credentials that West Michigan will need in 2025, as the region is still shy of its goal of 64.0
percent for this indicator (as projected by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research).
According to 2016 estimates, over 10 percent of the adult population in West Michigan did not
have a high school diploma or GED. These individuals face enormous barriers with respect to
gaining and maintaining employment, primarily due to issues of hard technical skills and potential
issues surrounding literacy. For those with literacy issues, this can have a generational effect by
way of the children of individuals who cannot read, making this an issue of continued importance
in our communities.
• Job growth in West Michigan continued to follow an upward trajectory from 2016 to 2017, adding
over 8,600 jobs within the region at a rate of 1.3 percent over the year — a slight decline from the
4.1 percent growth observed over the previous period. Proportionally, West Michigan is still the
fastest of Michigan’s ten Prosperity Regions in terms of job growth over the relevant period,
boosted by the region’s largest industry, Manufacturing. Private-sector Manufacturing has added
nearly 3,500 jobs over the year, reflecting a growth of 36.4 percent since the trough of the
recession in 2009 — with over 41,000 jobs added to the industry over the relevant period.
• It’s important to note that despite these promising statistics, these measures could be even
greater according to the feedback gathered from business leaders across West Michigan. Hiring
authorities throughout the region are feeling the burden of a talent shortage, despite an increase
in our labor force participation rate, with many employers struggling to find qualified candidates to
fill their job vacancies.
• Sector strategies continue to be a leading practice in workforce planning. The middle portion of
this report supports regional initiatives such as the West Michigan Health Careers Council,
Discover Manufacturing, the Construction Workforce Development Alliance of West Michigan,
and West Michigan Tech Talent. We also provide competency and occupation information for the
Agriculture and Energy (as a subset of Construction and Energy) sectors, as well as two relatively
recent industry sector additions: Professional Services and Retail and Hospitality Services.
• Four themes emerged from the industry sector focus groups that will play a pivotal role in the
future of talent planning across the region: Millennials (or more broadly, the generational shift with
the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation), company culture and job benefits, soft skills, and
the use of social media in the space of talent attraction.
10 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Population According to the 2017 annual estimates, the population of West Michigan is 1,595,965. This represents
an increase of 13,781 residents from 2016, which is a growth rate of 0.9 percent and the largest over-the-
year population growth seen in West Michigan since 2013. This is the eighth straight year of population
growth observed for the region, with nearly 79,000 additional residents since the end of the recession in
2009.
The proportion of the
population residing in the
Talent 2025 region, relative to
the state, increased by 0.1
percent since last year and
now stands at 16.0 percent.
Lackluster population growth
seen statewide (0.2 percent
from 2016 to 2017) translates
to a slight net increase across
the 70 counties in the state,
excluding West Michigan.
Over the past five years, the
share of the statewide
population residing in our region has grown by half a percentage point.
Over the year, Barry and Allegan Counties experienced
the highest proportional population growth within the
13-county West Michigan region, with Barry County
adding 874 residents (1.5 percent growth) and Allegan
County adding 1,492 residents (1.3 percent growth).
Another notable driver of population growth is Kent
County, the region’s largest county, which added 5,685
residents (0.9 percent growth) in the period from 2016
to 2017.
Population Change, Indexed to 2000
Percent Population Change,
2016 to 2017
Lake
1.3%
Kent
0.9%
Allegan
1.3%
Ottawa
1.1%
Graph 1
Area
Comparison
Peers Overall
2nd of 12
59th
of 171
Relative to the 11 regions identified as peer
communities, West Michigan’s 4.0 percent population
growth over the last five years ranks second. The top
comparison region, Greenville-Spartanburg-
Anderson, South Carolina, experienced a 5.5 percent
rate of population growth from 2012 to 2017, well
above the 3.7 percent growth observed for the nation
as a whole. The Talent 2025 region would rank 59th
compared to all 171 Combined Statistical Areas
nationwide.
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
West Michigan MI-WM Michigan United States
Map 1
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 11
Migration Patterns With respect to migration patterns into and out of West Michigan, the region continued to experience a
strong positive net migration across the thirteen counties when compared to the other 70 counties in
Michigan. West Michigan also experienced a positive net inflow when comparing migration patterns for
the region to migration patterns across the United States.
The 5-year estimates available from the U.S. Census Bureau allow us to see that 90,678 residents of
other counties in Michigan — and the 49 other states, including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico —
moved to West Michigan in 2016, while 85,886 West Michigan residents left the region for another
destination located within the U.S. over the same period. As such, this balances to a net inflow of 4,792
new residents for West Michigan in 2016.
Just over 69,000 of those new residents, or
76.1 percent, moved to West Michigan from
one of Michigan’s 70 other counties. Although
the region lost 64,041 former residents to
other parts of the state, the result was a net
gain of 4,965 migrants from other parts of
Michigan. Among the top destinations in
Michigan for those leaving the region were
Kalamazoo County, Ingham County,
Washtenaw County, and Wayne and Oakland
Counties. Due to the large inflows of new
residents coming from the east side of the
state, however, the top three counties in
Michigan with respect to net migration into
West Michigan were all located in the Detroit
metro area: Wayne County, Oakland County,
and Macomb County. West Michigan
experienced a net gain of new residents from
49 of the 70 other counties in Michigan.
Excluding the remainder of Michigan, West
Michigan experienced a net loss of 173 residents
to the other 49 states located across the nation and
to Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. The top
destinations for former West Michigan residents
included states in the South (Florida, Texas, North
Carolina), Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Wisconsin), and West (California and Arizona). On
the opposite end of the spectrum, West Michigan
saw the largest net gains from former residents of
Illinois, Alabama, and Pennsylvania, while
experiencing the greatest net loss of West
Michigan residents to both Florida and North
Carolina.
Coming to West Michigan
Leaving West Michigan
Area Movers Area Movers
TOTAL 21,672
TOTAL 21,845
Illinois 2,528
Florida 3,170
Florida 1,691
Illinois 1,699
Indiana 1,568
Texas 1,688
Texas 1,258
Indiana 1,533
Ohio 1,212
California 1,180
Tennessee 919
Ohio 1,111
California 890
Arizona 1,068
Pennsylvania 831
North Carolina 1,027
Arizona 616
Tennessee 863
Wisconsin 583
Wisconsin 852
Net Migration Across Michigan Counties,
Annual Average, 2012-2016
Map 2
High Net Inflow
Net Inflow
Net Outflow
High Net Outflow
West Michigan States with High and Low
Migration, West Michigan (2016)
Chart 1
12 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Educational Attainment The educational attainment of the adult population (ages 25+) within a region serves as a leading
indicator of the strength of the corresponding labor market. As jobs become more advanced and
integrated with technology, the skills
necessary for maintaining employment
become more specialized. According to
estimates from the W.E. Upjohn Institute,
64 percent of the adult population in
West Michigan will need some education
beyond a high school diploma in order to
satisfy the demands of the region by the
year 2025.
The most recent estimates from 2016
place West Michigan at 58.6 percent for
this indicator. While this represents a
growth of 0.3 percent from the previous
year, the growth rates for both the state
and the nation were double that
observed for the region over the same
period. West Michigan currently trails the
statewide average by nearly 1.7 percent
(inclusive of West Michigan, the state is
at 60.3 percent) as well as the country,
where 59.5 percent of the adult population
has some education beyond high school.
More specifically, 26.3 percent of adults in
West Michigan have a Bachelor’s, graduate,
or professional degree, slightly below the
Michigan rate of 27.4 percent. However,
both of these levels trail the national
postsecondary attainment rate of 30.3
percent.
Adult illiteracy still serves as a major barrier
for some employees in West Michigan —
generally with respect to those yielding education less than high school — where 10.3 percent of adults
do not have a high school diploma or an equivalent degree. While this translates to over 100,000
individuals throughout West Michigan, the regional rate is nearly 2.7 percentage points lower than the
national average of 13.0 percent, and slightly higher than the statewide average of 10.1 percent.
Percent of Adults with Education
Beyond High School, 2016
Educational Attainment
West Michigan, 2016
Graph 2
Area
Comparison
Peers
4th
of 12
In comparison to the 11 similar regions, West Michigan
ranks fourth with 58.6 percent of adults possessing
education beyond high school. The top comparison region,
Hartford-West Hartford, Connecticut, boasts a 62.8
percent level of attainment for this metric, nearly four
percentage points above our own. With respect to peer
areas, our rate is most similar to Tulsa-Muskogee-
Bartlesville, Oklahoma at 58.0 percent. The Talent 2025
region would rank 79th compared to all 171 Combined
Statistical Areas nationwide.
Overall
79th
of 171
58.6% 60.3% 59.5%
West Michigan Michigan United States
Graph 3
Less than 9th grade,
3.6%9th to 12th grade, no diploma,
6.7%
High school graduate (includes
equivalency), 31.0%Some
college, no degree, 23.0%
Associate's degree,
9.3%
Bachelor's degree, 17.5%
Graduate or professional degree, 8.8%
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 13
Commuting Patterns Commuting patterns serve as an effective method to identify labor sheds, both at the regional and sub-
regional levels, which can help employers determine where to channel their recruitment efforts.
Data regarding West Michigan’s 2015 commuting patterns were updated on the U.S. Census Bureau’s
OnTheMap online tool in September of 2016. These estimates were obtained from employers, covered by
unemployment insurance, and from Census data provided by individuals in order to determine commuting
patterns at various geography levels.
Commuting Beyond West Michigan In 2015 there were a total of 681,068 individuals employed in West Michigan, regardless of whether they
lived among the thirteen counties or not. Of these, only 569,403 both lived and worked within the region,
accounting for 83.6 percent of employees in West Michigan. Thus, leaving 111,665 people who lived
outside of West Michigan, but made a commute into the region for employment. Conversely, a total of
693,944 individuals were considered residents of West Michigan in 2015. Approximately 17.9 percent, or
124,541 residents, were employed beyond the boundaries of the region and made a commute out of
West Michigan for work.
Commuting Within West Michigan
Grand Rapids
In 2015 there were 130,297 individuals employed in the City of Grand Rapids, with nearly a quarter of the respective population also residing within the city’s boundaries (31,048 residential employees). As such, approximately 76.2 percent of those employed within the city commuted from their place of residence beyond the city’s limits, leaving 99,249 individuals who commuted into Grand Rapids for work in 2015. The city’s 2015 residential population of 87,654 employed individuals consisted of 35.4 percent who remained within the city for work (31,048 residential employees), while nearly 65 percent of those living in Grand Rapids were employed somewhere outside of the city. The top destinations for commuters who lived in Grand Rapids at this time were Kentwood, Wyoming, Walker, and Forest Hills.
Holland
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 158,705 individuals employed in the City of Holland in
2015. The city’s workers predominately lived outside of the city, with over three-quarters (76.5 percent) of
the employed population commuting into the city for work. The city’s residential population consisted of
103,445 employed individuals, yet only 37,276 residents (36.0 percent) remained within the city’s limits
during their commute to work. Thus, 64 percent of those living in Holland (66,169 residents) travelled
beyond the boundaries of the city during their commute to work in 2015. The top destinations for
residents commuting out of Holland were Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Wyoming, and Walker.
Muskegon
Compared to Grand Rapids or Holland, the City of Muskegon saw the lowest proportion of its employed
population also living in the city during 2015 — accounting for 2,685 residents (14.0 percent) of the city’s
19,116 total employees. Of the 12,910 individuals who lived in the City of Muskegon during 2015, there
were just 2,685 residents (20.8 percent) who remained within the city for employment. Therefore, 79.2
percent of Muskegon residents (10,225 individuals) were employed outside of the city and made a regular
commute beyond the city’s limits for work. The top destinations for these commuters were Norton Shores,
Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, and Roosevelt Park.
14 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Labor Force and Employment While they are often derived as a simplified look at the health of an economy, the unemployment rate and
labor force participation rate of a region are among the most pervasive indicators of economic prosperity.
While the unemployment rate has followed a downward trajectory in West Michigan over previous years
— reaching an annual low of 3.9 percent in 2016, the lowest unemployment rate seen since the
historically low rate of 3.4 percent was observed in 2000 — it is important to note that such progress may
be slowing as more individuals begin to enter the labor force, slightly increasing the unemployment rate.
Although the regional unemployment rate has steadily decreased over each of the past seven years, after
hitting an annualized peak of 12.5 percent in 2009, the annual rate for last year (4.0 percent) was slightly
higher than the rate in 2016 (3.9 percent). The current unemployment rate in West Michigan, at 3.9
percent over the first half of 2018, shows an increase of 0.3 percent from the rate observed for the first six
months in 2017 (3.6 percent). However, the first half of 2018 has already seen twice the number of new
labor force participants and employed individuals than were added to the labor force over the duration of
2017.
Despite a slight increase in the
unemployment rate from the same
period last year, unemployment in West
Michigan currently stands below that of
the state by seven-tenths of a
percentage point; Michigan is at 4.6
percent through the first six months of
2018. When compared to the same
estimates from last year, indicating a
differential of 1 percentage point
between the region and the state, it
would appear that the unemployment
gap has narrowed by 0.3 percent since
the previous year.
County-level unemployment rates reflect a
similar trend, with each of West Michigan’s 13
counties boasting a higher rate for the first half
of 2018 than observed over the same period in
2017. Despite having rebounded from the
recession as quickly as 2014, unemployment
rates across West Michigan are still not
uniformly lower than the state or the nation. The
largest counties within West Michigan — such
as Ottawa, Kent, and Allegan Counties (3.2
percent, 3.4 percent, 3.9 percent) — yield the
lowest rates, which pull down the overall rate for
the region. Yet, areas large and small still see
stubborn unemployment rates well above the
state and national averages — rates are
particularly high for the region’s largest counties,
Oceana and Lake (7.9 percent, 8.3 percent).
Labor Force and Unemployment in West
Michigan, 2000 to 2018*
Unemployment Rate,
January – June 2018 Graph 4
Graph 5
*January – June 2018
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 15
Labor Force Participation Rate The labor force participation rate represents the fraction of the total non-institutional civilian population —
adults who are not inmates in an institution and who are not in active duty in the Armed Forces — who
are considered to be members of the labor force (either employed or actively seeking work). The most
widely utilized labor force participation rate comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and consists
of the adult (16+) population. Adhering to this definition, the labor force participation rate for adults in
Michigan was 61.5 percent through the first six months of 2018, and 62.8 percent for the nation as a
whole.
Talent 2025 has adopted what is referred to as the working-age labor force participation rate, which is
calculated the same way as the aforementioned rate but restricted to those between the ages of 25 and
54. The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey provides information that can be used to
calculate this measure on an annual basis, at any geographic level.
The working-age labor force participation rate in West Michigan was 82.2 percent in 2016, with 77.0 percent of the 25-54 population employed and 6.0 percent unemployed and actively seeking work. This number is 1.4 percentage points greater than the rate observed statewide (80.8 percent) and compares favorably to the national rate of 81.6 percent. Despite possessing a higher labor force participation rate than both the state and the nation, with respect to the “working-age” population, the rate for West Michigan has declined over the past six years — both for the broad 25-54 age bracket, as well as each age group within the “working-age” population. An increase of 0.9 percent to the 2016 working-age labor force participation rate, reflecting the rate observed in 2010, would translate to over 5,600 additional members of the West Michigan workforce.
Labor Force Participation Rate by Age Group, West Michigan, 2010 and 2016
Graph 6
83.1%
84.4%
83.2%83.7%
81.8%82.2%
83.9%
82.0%
82.9%
80.3%
25 - 54 (Working-Age) 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54
2010 2016
Area
Comparison
Peers
7th
of 12
In comparison to the 11 similar regions, West Michigan’s
working-age labor force participation rate of 82.2 percent ranks
seventh in 2016, down two spots from the previous year. The
top comparison region, Hartford-West Hartford, Connecticut,
saw a level of participation for this metric at 85.6 percent,
placing 22nd in the nation. Our rate is most similar to Dayton-
Springfield-Sidney, Ohio (82.4 percent) out of the comparative
areas. The Talent 2025 region ranks 75th when compared to all
171 Combined Statistical Areas nationwide.
Overall
75th
of 171
16 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Industry Jobs
Private-sector payroll jobs continued to follow an upward trajectory in West Michigan from 2016 to 2017, though at the lowest rate observed over the past five years. Over the year the region added 8,612 new private payroll jobs, reaching a new annual peak of 650,075 for 2017. This represents a 1.3 percent growth rate from the private-sector payroll job counts of 2016. Last year’s growth rate, recorded at 4.1 percent, was the highest seen since private payroll jobs in the region grew by 4.6 percent over the period from 2010 to 2011.
This new private-sector
employment estimate is 9.4
percent higher than the jobs level
in 2000, and illustrates a regional
growth of 28.1 percent from private
employment counts documented
during the recessionary trough in
2009. With respect to this
indicator, West Michigan is
proportionally the fastest growing
region compared to the other nine
Prosperity Regions in the state.
The region with the second highest
rate, Southeast Michigan, saw
private payroll jobs grow by just
19.9 percent since 2009.
Industry Overview In 2017, Manufacturing continued to be the
largest sector for employment in West
Michigan, accounting for 22.8 percent of all
payroll jobs. The next largest sector in the
region, with respect to job counts, was Health
Care and Social Assistance at 13.8 percent,
closely followed by Retail Trade with 10.7
percent. The fourth largest industry, and the
only other sector possessing more than a
tenth of total payroll jobs, was Administrative
and Support and Waste Management
Services, which accounted for 10.3 percent of
total jobs in West Michigan in 2017.
Manufacturing, the region’s largest industry,
added nearly 3,500 jobs from 2016 to 2017,
which slightly exceeded private-sector job
growth across the board by 1.0 percent.
While this industry has grown by 36.4 percent
since 2009, adding over 41,000 jobs during
that time, Administrative and Support and
Waste Management Services has the highest
post-recessionary growth rate of any industry
(76.6 percent).
Jobs by Industry - West Michigan, 2017
Graph 7
Graph 8
450,000
500,000
550,000
600,000
650,000
700,000
2000
2001
20
02
2003
20
04
2005
20
06
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
20
13
2014
20
15
2016
20
17
Private Sector Payroll Jobs, West
Michigan, 2000 - 2017
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 17
Recession Recovery Although the number of total private-sector payroll jobs in West Michigan has seen a dramatic recovery
since the trough of the recession in 2009, job gains have been unevenly distributed across different
industries. Of the 142,504 jobs added in West Michigan since 2009, 29.0 percent were associated with
Manufacturing — which has added 41,352 jobs — for a growth rate of 36.4 percent within this sector. The
industry with the second-highest job growth since 2009, accounting for 21.4 percent of additional jobs in
the region, was Administrative and Support and Waste Management Services with 30,444 new jobs (this
industry includes jobs such as Janitors and Cleaners and Security Guards). Combined, these two
industries account for over half of the job gains observed in West Michigan since 2009.
Proportionally, other industries in the region with substantial growth over this period include Construction
(+7,506 jobs, +33.5 percent), Transportation and Warehousing (+3,893 jobs, +30.7 percent), and
Management of Companies and Enterprises (+1,488 jobs, +30.4 percent). Wholesale Trade, at 28.2
percent, was the only other industry to grow at a faster rate than the regional payroll jobs economy as a
whole by adding 7,305 jobs since 2009.
Concentration of Industries A Location Quotient (LQ) refers to the relative concentration of employment in a local industry as
compared to a larger area (in this case, Michigan as a whole). An LQ greater than 1.0 indicates that there
is a higher concentration of employment within a local industry when compared to the same industry over
a broad area, and vice versa (while an LQ of 1.0 signifies that the two areas have the same employment
concentration).
Reflecting similar results from the previous year, the top eight sub-industries in West Michigan in 2017
with the highest LQ levels (and employment above 1,000) all fell within two major industries:
Manufacturing and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting. The latter retained an industry-wide LQ of
2.2, which was also observed in 2016, indicating that the share of local jobs associated with Agriculture
was more than double the share seen statewide. This was driven, in part, by the proportionally large
number of jobs concentrated in Animal Production and Aquaculture (which has an LQ of 2.6) and Crop
Production, with an LQ of 2.2.
Manufacturing, with and LQ of 1.4, was driven by Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (LQ of 4.9).
Simply put, the share of total private employment associated with this sub-industry in 2017 was nearly
five times the share seen statewide. This highly concentrated Manufacturing sub-industry was closely
followed by Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (LQ of 4.3), Computer and Electronic Product
Manufacturing (2.8), and Food Manufacturing (2.5).
High Employment Concentration Industries LQ* Employment
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting 2.2 12,041
Animal Production 2.6 4,163
Crop Production 2.2 6,560
Manufacturing 1.4 154,887
Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing 4.9 736
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing 4.3 16,852
Adm and Support and Waste Management 1.4 70,207
Administrative and Support Services 1.4 68,505
Education Services 1.2 13,387
Wholesale Trade 1.1 33,250
Location Quotient by Sub-Industry, West Michigan, 2017
Chart 2
18 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Sector Focus
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 19
Sector Overview
• Sector strategies are collaborative efforts between various community stakeholders around
particular industry sectors, like the West Michigan Health Careers Council, Discover
Manufacturing, the Construction Workforce Development Alliance of West Michigan, and West
Michigan Tech Talent. In coming together, stakeholders like employers, workforce development
organizations, two- and four-year postsecondary institutions, community organizations, and other
training institutions can help to ensure an efficient talent pipeline and the transparent, regular
sending of signals between the supply and demand side of the talent system.
• To create the datasets here, 19 private-sector industries (by 2-digit North American Industry
Classification System, or NAICS, codes) were divided into nine industry clusters based on the
commonalities of occupations within the industries (see Appendix 2). In this section, we take a
more comprehensive look into seven of the nine industry sectors.
• Included within each sector is:
o Employment and compensation information for the entire sector,
o Output from the industry focus group(s),
o Competency data reflective of the competencies needed for top occupations, ordered by
Importance score (see Appendix 3),
o Top Occupations by several growth and wage measures. These occupations have been
presented to the sector focus group(s) and are discussed in the focus group output.
• Following the Retail and Hospitality Services section, we have synthesized four topics that were
distinct commonalities across a majority of sector focus groups, which are:
o Millennials
o Company culture and benefits
o Soft skills
o Social media in talent attraction
Sector Comparison, West Michigan
(Bubble size = 2017 employment)
20 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Agriculture
2017 Employment Trend Average Compensation Total Wages
12,041
▲ (1.8%)
$32,057 Annual, 2017
$386 million in 2017
The Agriculture and Food Processing industry cluster is an important component of the West Michigan
economy, accounting for almost $400 million in wages paid across the region in 2017. Employers from
this sector can be found throughout the region, from the populous counties of Kent and Ottawa to the
more rural counties found in the northern half of the West Michigan region. Breaking the downward trend
observed in 2016, employment within this industry cluster has grown by 1.8 percent over the duration of
2017.
Focus Group Insights Note: These focus group insights are based off the feedback provided by Agriculture and Food
Processing employers. For quantitative data, Food Processing is a sub-industry located within the
Manufacturing sector.
Agriculture and Food Processing is a complicated, seasonally-dependent industry sector. Some
employers have experienced steady work year-round, while others have increased or scaled-down
production throughout the year. Although this sector was traditionally composed of many part-time
employees, the consensus with focus group participants was that many were seeking full-time candidates
in order to provide staffing for their around-the-clock production schedules. Attracting new talent, or
identifying new talent pools, was identified as the key struggle by a majority of employers, particularly for
weekend or night shifts in rural areas where the talent pool has been exhausted. In fact, several
employers noted the issue of employees finding a better offer within their local area and simply leaving
the job without notice, only to try and return to work sometime later (with a less than credible reputation).
Career ladders presented a struggle for most of the employers interviewed, particularly when it came to
making hiring decisions between internal or external applicants for skilled positions — decisions that have
increased in frequency, as many have observed an increase in the hiring for specialized roles. Some
noted a shortage of qualified talent particularly prominent in rural areas, with candidates lacking a
sufficient combination of technical and soft skills to fill positions that required training beyond high school.
Due to competition for local entry-level talent, however, employers mentioned the challenges associated
with filling the vacancies left by internal promotions.
One occupation that was highly in-demand for most focus group participants was Well and Refrigeration
Operators, in additional to other roles requiring an ammonia refrigeration certification. While many of the
top occupations within the sector resonated with focus group participants, most noted that wages
(reflecting nation-wide data in this sector) were often higher in the northern half of West Michigan.
Top Sector Competencies with Importance and Level scores (on a scale of 0 to 100) Knowledge Skills
Customer and Personal Service 69, 62 Active Listening 66, 53
English Language 67, 53 Speaking 66, 52
Administration and Management 59, 52 Critical Thinking 64, 53
Abilities Work Activities
Oral Comprehension 71, 58 Getting Information 82, 59
Oral Expression 69, 56 Communicating with Supervisors… 77, 64
Written Comprehension 66, 54 Making Decisions/Solving Problems 75, 61
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 21
Top Occupations in the Agriculture Sector
Color Key
West Michigan data National data
These occupations were chosen by a combination of the sum of percent ranks over four variables of
interest: the projected 10-year growth rate, the median wage, the projected number of annual growth
openings, and the projected number of annual replacement openings. They are listed here alphabetically.
Starting wages refer to the 25th percentile within the area, while median is equal to the 50th percentile. The
ten-year percentage growth and annual average openings due to growth are from the Bureau of Labor
Market Information and Strategic Initiative’s Long-Term Occupational forecasts for the 13-county West
Michigan Region.
* Wage data is reflective of the occupations specifically within the industry sector, rather than the wages for the
occupation throughout the economy.
Wages* Growth Annual Openings Due to Growth Title Starting Median 10-Year
Accountants and Auditors $25.98 $30.61 14.8% 64
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
$16.26 $19.35 13.3% 18
Customer Service Representatives $12.89 $16.80 11.8% 167
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
$22.33 $28.56 11.2% 30
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
$19.25 $26.13 10.3% 50
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
$16.03 $23.37 8.3% 51
General and Operations Managers $26.07 $38.58 10.8% 100
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $14.17 $17.69 7.6% 97
Helpers--Production Workers $10.45 $11.56 9.4% 62
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $15.32 $21.01 31.9% 92
Industrial Production Managers $31.26 $39.53 6.5% 15
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers $11.29 $13.63 10.0% 63
Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers $11.71 $14.38 7.5% 37
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $12.51 $16.35 9.9% 71
Office Clerks, General $10.58 $14.05 6.5% 118
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
$10.72 $12.02 11.9% 44
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
$19.57 $27.23 9.0% 105
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
$11.37 $14.78 5.9% 55
Self-Enrichment Education Teachers $11.86 $17.54 19.1% 20
Stock Clerks and Order Fillers $10.35 $12.98 4.6% 44
22 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Energy and Construction
2017 Employment Trend Average Compensation Total Wages
32,604
▲ (5.1%)
$60,115 Annual, 2017
$1.96 billion in 2017
The Energy and Construction industries are taken together as one industry cluster, given the broad
overlap in occupations between the two distinct industries. In fact, this sector consists of three
interdependent industries when it comes to talent: Construction, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas
Extraction, and Utilities. While the latter industry experienced a slight employment decline over the past
year, a joint 5.1 percent growth to employment in both Construction and Mining buoyed this $1.96 billion
industry.
Focus Group Insights Construction is typically regarded as a seasonal industry, which can be a drawback in hiring compared to
local manufacturers who can often offer a more stable number of hours on a year-round basis. However,
several employers mentioned that one of the biggest challenges they face in attracting talent lies in the
stigma surrounding skilled trade occupations, particularly for entry-level employees. Now, more so than
ever before, employers have noticed a lack of interest in younger worker for occupations that don’t
require a traditional four-year degree, as many believe they don’t provide stable, lucrative career options.
While this may be true for the younger generation of workers, several employers also noted a difficulty in
recruiting for late-in-career, specialized positions — which some argued may be due to the emphasis
placed on a four-year degree for the Baby Boomer generation.
Career pathing serves as one method to ameliorate these recruitment challenges, and also a source of
pride, for many West Michigan construction companies and contractors. Many of the focus group
participants cover potential career paths with job applicants and candidates during their interview
processes — cementing their importance with new hires and allowing organizations to groom internal
candidates for in-demand and specialized late-in-career positions. Apprenticeship or mentorship
programs are also popular for the region’s construction employers, providing an opportunity for new hires
to work alongside experienced crew members while ensuring cultural assimilation and promoting learning
through face-to-face communication.
While the focus of trying to find new talent pools was channeled primarily for occupations on the job site
— including HVAC, all the skilled trades, and Electricians in particular — Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck
Drivers were identified by several employers as a particular pain point in hiring, with many filling these
vacancies through internal promotions. The challenge for this position, specifically, residing in the
increasing need for drivers to possess social skills as more deliveries begin to occur directly with
customers at job sites.
Top Sector Competencies with Importance and Level scores (on a scale of 0 to 100) Knowledge Skills
Customer and Personal Service 64, 58 Active Listening 62, 49
English Language 63, 48 Speaking 61, 47
Mathematics 59, 51 Critical Thinking 59, 48
Abilities Work Activities
Oral Comprehension 67, 54 Getting Information 81, 55
Near Vision 67, 51 Communicating with Supervisors… 77, 62
Problem Sensitivity 65, 47 Making Decisions/Solving Problems 72, 60
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 23
Top Occupations in the Energy and Construction Sector
These occupations were chosen by a combination of the sum of percent ranks over four variables of
interest: the projected 10-year growth rate, the median wage, the projected number of annual growth
openings, and the projected number of annual replacement openings. They are listed here alphabetically.
Starting wages refer to the 25th percentile within the area, while median is equal to the 50th percentile. The
ten-year percentage growth and annual average openings due to growth are from the Bureau of Labor
Market Information and Strategic Initiative’s Long-Term Occupational forecasts for the 13-county West
Michigan Region.
* Wage data is reflective of the occupations specifically within the industry sector, rather than the wages for the
occupation throughout the economy.
Wages* Growth Annual Openings Due to Growth Title Starting Median 10-Year
Brickmasons and Blockmasons $37.02 $50.38 32.3% 16
Carpenters $31.72 $42.05 18.2% 60
Construction Managers $23.15 $30.61 11.2% 16
Cost Estimators $19.37 $29.07 16.8% 22
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $12.66 $15.69 26.3% 22
Electricians $12.85 $16.30 21.9% 67
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Work
$23.99 $29.54 19.4% 41
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
$18.15 $23.17 11.2% 30
General and Operations Managers $16.34 $21.18 10.8% 100
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
$19.19 $23.95 22.8% 32
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $17.40 $25.48 7.6% 97
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $21.55 $31.10 9.9% 71
Office Clerks, General $18.82 $24.61 6.5% 118
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
$26.26 $34.59 15.3% 19
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $17.54 $22.67 20.2% 38
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
$29.28 $37.32 9.0% 105
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical,
$12.62 $18.05 5.9% 55
Sheet Metal Workers $16.41 $19.30 17.8% 12
Color key:
West Michigan data Statewide data
24 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Health Care
2017 Employment Trend Average Compensation Total Wages
93,532
▲ (3.5%)
$48,112 Annual, 2017
$4.5 billion in 2017
The Health Care industry has continued, over the past year, to illustrate the positive impact that
collaboration can have in an industry sector. Local employers, training institutions, and workforce
development professionals can help better align the needs of employers with the programs training talent
throughout the region through the West Michigan Health Careers Council. The group was awarded the
America’s Promise Grant in late 2016, a $6 million federal grant intended to provide training to new and
incumbent workers throughout the region for health care employers.
Focus Group Insights The highly fractional and part-time labor market associated with the Health Care industry can present its
own unique challenges to regional employers. A single employer is often hiring for positions with skill
requirements across the spectrum, for part-time, full-time, and many levels in between.
Another challenge encountered by local health care employers lies in the competitive environment
fostered for certain positions, particularly for low-skill and low-experience positions that do not have
extensive educational requirements. While in some industries, competition is defined by other employers
within the same sector, competition in health care can be broader. For several nutritional assistant
positions, in addition to other roles that do not require a certification or a degree, West Michigan
employers identified companies from other industry sectors as tough competition when it comes to talent
retention. These challenges are especially prominent when trying to fill undesirable shifts, like weekends
or overnights, where offering wage increases to incentivize employees has become a common tactic.
Office Clerks, General and other administrative support workers were identified by one large area
employer as a point of high turnover, although the consensus would suggest that there’s currently an
overabundance of office staff — primarily due to the large volume of “allied health workers who wanted to
get into the industry but didn’t quite have the grades.” Some of this turnover is good, with respect to
employees moving into a better-paying and higher-skill role within the company, but wage information
gets around quickly with such a fractional and part-time labor force. This means that it’s not uncommon
for employees to pick up additional hours with whichever company is paying a more competitive rate.
Despite frequently discussing the challenges of attracting highly-skilled, specialized talent — for which
recruitment occurs on a national scale and establishing relationships with candidates via LinkedIn or
Facebook has become a common practice — a majority of employers indicated that they felt no retention
challenges with these highly-specialized positions, especially when compared to the retention challenges
presented by middle- or low-skill occupations.
Top Sector Competencies with Importance and Level scores (on a scale of 0 to 100) Knowledge Skills
Customer and Personal Service 80, 72 Active Listening 73, 56
English Language 74, 56 Speaking 72, 54
Medicine and Dentistry 61, 45 Reading Comprehension 68, 55
Abilities Work Activities
Oral Comprehension 76, 60 Getting Information 86, 61
Oral Expression 75, 59 Documenting/Recording Information 83, 61
Problem Sensitivity 71, 56 Communicating with Supervisors… 82, 64
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 25
Top Occupations in the Health Care Sector Wages* Growth
10-year
Annual Openings
Due to Growth Title Starting Median
Billing and Posting Clerks and Machine Operators
$15.17 $17.31 14.4% 27
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $16.06 $18.51 8.9% 20
Customer Service Representatives $13.39 $15.32 11.8% 167
First-Line Supervisors of Office and
Administrative Support Workers $19.17 $24.42 10.3% 50
Healthcare Social Workers $21.60 $26.73 22.2% 23
Home Health Aides $9.40 $10.90 31.7% 142
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational
Nurses $18.10 $20.91 9.9% 25
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $14.69 $18.04 9.9% 71
Medical and Health Services Managers $34.88 $44.39 19.3% 37
Medical Assistants $13.67 $15.80 17.3% 45
Medical Secretaries $13.95 $16.11 17.6% 35
Nursing Assistants $12.40 $13.75 16.2% 129
Occupational Therapists $28.15 $33.27 26.5% 25
Office Clerks, General $13.38 $17.82 6.5% 118
Personal Care Aides $9.64 $10.66 26.0% 96
Physical Therapists $34.12 $39.46 31.7% 51
Physician Assistants $43.63 $49.26 27.0% 17
Registered Nurses $26.63 $29.88 23.9% 327
Respiratory Therapists $22.88 $26.32 24.4% 16
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants,
Except Legal, Medical, $12.91 $16.58 5.9% 55
These occupations were chosen by a combination of the sum of percent ranks over four variables of
interest: the projected 10-year growth rate, the median wage, the projected number of annual growth
openings, and the projected number of annual replacement openings. They are listed here alphabetically.
Starting wages refer to the 25th percentile within the area, while median is equal to the 50th percentile. The
ten-year percentage growth and annual average openings due to growth are from the Bureau of Labor
Market Information and Strategic Initiative’s Long-Term Occupational forecasts for the 13-county West
Michigan Region.
* Wage data is reflective of the occupations specifically within the industry sector, rather than the wages for the
occupation throughout the economy.
26 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Information Technology and Media
2017 Employment Trend Average Compensation Total Wages
6,297
▲ (3.9%)
$51,771 Annual, 2017
$326 million in 2017
Information Technology and Media is a modestly sized, yet vitally important industry of employment in
West Michigan. The efforts of West Michigan Tech Talent help to catalyze the alignment of efforts among
employers, training institutions, and other community organizations and partners. Boasting the third
highest average annual wage of the seven industry clusters highlighted in this report — with regional
wages becoming increasingly competitive on the national stage — the IT and Media sector sees plenty of
opportunities to attract and retain talent from around the region.
Focus Group Insights As in previous focus group sessions for IT and Media, employers emphasized the increasingly vital role
played by a company’s culture in their efforts to attract and retain talent. A positive company culture can
often serve as the best method to prevent an experienced employee from leaving for another company,
which is typically cultivated through modern and attractive work spaces, company-reimbursed training
opportunities, company-hosted social events, or by placing an emphasis on the work-life balance of
employees. One local IT employer stated, “we want it to be a demotion for them to go anywhere else, the
best way to achieve retention is through culture — providing a long-term commitment from the company
that this is a good place to have your career.”
A few focus group participants have even adopted a more flexible organizational structure in an effort to
improve their company’s culture, presenting new challenges with respect to career pathing. These
emerging organizational structures enable employers to organize project teams, and to assign leadership
responsibilities, on a rotational basis rather than adhering to traditional measures of experience or
seniority. In doing so, these employers are helping to cultivate the skillsets and experiences of their
younger employees, who often move from company to company not for pay, but instead to look for a
professional challenge.
Not unlike the previous industry sector, where competition for talent would appear to transcend sector
categories, some of the region’s IT employers have noticed a rising number of competitors for local talent
coming from outside of West Michigan. Companies from across the industry spectrum located primarily
on the nation’s West Coast seem to be poaching a few local IT professionals, offering them opportunities
to work remotely and even recruiting local talent from IT boot camps. Occupations involving business
analytics and data security were highlighted by several Grand Rapids employers as being pain points with
respect to stolen talent from employers outside of the region, and even outside of Michigan. While there
doesn’t appear to be a huge demand for data security specialists, as each company needs just a few
employees knowledgeable in the area, they are currently one of the most challenging positions for
regional employers to fill — a trend expected to continue as each industry become more reliant on
technology.
Top Sector Competencies with Importance and Level scores (on a scale of 0 to 100) Knowledge Skills
Customer and Personal Service 70, 63 Active Listening 69, 55
English Language 69, 56 Speaking 68, 55
Computers and Electronics 66, 65 Reading Comprehension 67, 57
Abilities Work Activities
Oral Comprehension 72, 60 Getting Information 82, 61
Oral Expression 72, 58 Interacting with Computers 82, 59
Written Comprehension 70, 57 Communicating with Supervisors… 79, 66
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 27
Top Occupations in the IT and Media Sector Wages* Growth Annual
Openings Due to Growth
Title Starting Median 10-Year
Accountants and Auditors $24.92 $31.44 14.8% 64
Administrative Services Managers $34.38 $45.23 11.3% 11
Computer and Information Systems Managers $48.56 $61.48 13.6% 12
Computer User Support Specialists $21.09 $25.99 15.9% 44
Customer Service Representatives $14.33 $18.23 11.8% 167
Financial Managers $38.67 $49.49 10.6% 23
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and
Repairers $26.26 $34.59 11.2% 30
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $18.40 $26.20 8.8% 16
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative
Support Workers $21.35 $27.18 10.3% 50
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating
Workers $26.51 $34.33 8.3% 51
General and Operations Managers $37.02 $50.38 10.8% 100
Human Resources Specialists $25.72 $33.45 9.6% 18
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $12.62 $18.05 9.9% 71
Management Analysts $32.22 $39.48 19.4% 26
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $14.97 $24.80 22.8% 44
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks $21.31 $29.81 11.1% 22
Sales Managers $51.32 $58.79 7.8% 14
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing,
Except Technical and Scientific Products $19.37 $29.07 9.0% 105
Software Developers, Applications $31.63 $37.58 24.4% 41
Software Developers, Systems Software $26.13 $40.01 11.0% 13
Color key:
West Michigan data Statewide data
These occupations were chosen by a combination of the sum of percent ranks over four variables of
interest: the projected 10-year growth rate, the median wage, the projected number of annual growth
openings, and the projected number of annual replacement openings. They are listed here alphabetically.
Starting wages refer to the 25th percentile within the area, while median is equal to the 50th percentile. The
ten-year percentage growth and annual average openings due to growth are from the Bureau of Labor
Market Information and Strategic Initiative’s Long-Term Occupational forecasts for the 13-county West
Michigan Region.
28 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Manufacturing
2017 Employment Trend Average Compensation Total Wages
154,887
▲ (2.3%)
$58,623 Annual, 2017
$9.08 billion in 2017
Composed of over 150,000 employees across West Michigan, the Manufacturing industry sector has
continued to follow a strong post-recessionary growth trajectory since the end of the last decade. Paying
over $9 billion in wages in 2017, the second highest average annual wage of the seven industry clusters
highlighted in this report, initiatives such as Discover Manufacturing and MiCareerQuest have helped to
align efforts across the region — illustrating the impact of modern manufacturing.
Focus Group Insights Similar to the feedback acquired from our construction employers, the dominant topic for manufacturing
employers related to current and future problems associated with the availability of talent, compared to
the age of the talent currently employed. Several employers were concerned about the large number of
retirements expected over the next five to ten years and about the stigma surrounding skilled trade
occupations, which was particularly prominent for entry-level talent. Now, more so than ever before, these
employers have noticed a lack of interest in younger worker for occupations in manufacturing, as many
believe they don’t provide stable, lucrative career options. While this may remain true for the younger
generation of workers, several employers also noted a difficulty in recruiting mid-in-career talent — with
one employer stating, “the previous generation was told that manufacturing was dying, so there’s like a
twenty-year gap where talent is lacking.”
In an effort to combat these talent attraction challenges, many participants referenced the various forms
of partnerships and trainings occurring throughout the region. Manufacturing Day and MiCareerQuest
were frequently mentioned collaborative efforts, which are intended to increase awareness of
manufacturing as a career possibility for younger members of the talent pool. While partnerships with
local universities and technical training institutions were also commonly discussed, some employers have
even created partnerships with local high schools to engage the new generation in the West Michigan
talent pool — essentially establishing talent pipelines through apprenticeship programs, co-ops, and
summer internship programs.
One final theme that emerged was an emphasis on adapting and better communicating employee
benefits beyond wages, as many of the region’s smaller employers cannot compete with the wage
offerings of larger manufacturing companies. In an effort to make these smaller companies more
competitive in the space of talent attraction, employers strive to offer a better company culture, safer and
cleaner working environments, or more flexible working hours when compared to large-scale
manufacturers.
Top Sector Competencies with Importance and Level scores (on a scale of 0 to 100) Knowledge Skills
English Language 64, 50 Active Listening 62, 49
Mathematics 60, 55 Critical Thinking 62, 52
Customer and Personal Service 59, 53 Speaking 60, 49
Abilities Work Activities
Oral Comprehension 66, 57 Getting Information 80, 54
Problem Sensitivity 66, 50 Communicating with Supervisors… 76, 63
Oral Expression 64, 55 Making Decisions/Solving Problems 74, 61
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 29
Top Occupations in the Manufacturing Sector Wages* Growth Annual
Openings Due to Growth
Title Starting Median 10 Year
Accountants and Auditors $24.62 $30.94 14.8% 64
Architectural and Engineering Managers $47.03 $55.94 9.5% 12
Computer User Support Specialists $18.07 $22.64 15.9% 44
Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, Metal
and Plastic $15.54 $19.79 33.7% 98
Customer Service Representatives $16.75 $19.80 11.8% 167
Electrical Engineers $30.28 $36.40 11.0% 12
Electricians $23.67 $28.23 21.9% 67
Financial Managers $41.84 $54.20 10.6% 23
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating
Workers $22.99 $28.24 8.3% 51
General and Operations Managers $40.02 $58.56 10.8% 100
Human Resources Specialists $22.55 $27.95 9.6% 18
Industrial Engineers $29.06 $35.61 12.6% 53
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $19.39 $22.93 31.9% 92
Industrial Production Managers $37.34 $48.79 6.5% 15
Machinists $14.08 $18.76 21.4% 104
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $15.85 $19.63 9.9% 71
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $21.91 $28.89 22.8% 44
Mechanical Engineers $27.97 $34.24 13.0% 34
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks $16.54 $21.81 11.1% 22
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing,
Except Technical and Scientific Products $22.58 $30.79 9.0% 105
These occupations were chosen by a combination of the sum of percent ranks over four variables of
interest: the projected 10-year growth rate, the median wage, the projected number of annual growth
openings, and the projected number of annual replacement openings. They are listed here alphabetically.
Starting wages refer to the 25th percentile within the area, while median is equal to the 50th percentile. The
ten-year percentage growth and annual average openings due to growth are from the Bureau of Labor
Market Information and Strategic Initiative’s Long-Term Occupational forecasts for the 13-county West
Michigan Region.
* Wage data is reflective of the occupations specifically within the industry sector, rather than the wages for the
occupation throughout the economy.
30 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Professional Services
2017 Employment Trend Average Compensation Total Wages
128,370
▼ $44,169 Annual, 2017
$5.47 billion in 2017
The Professional Services industry sector consists of five industries (in order of 2017 employment):
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services; Professional, Scientific,
and Technical Services; Finance and Insurance; Management of Companies and Enterprises; and Real
Estate and Rental and Leasing. Although this broad sector was the fastest growing industry of those
highlighted in last year’s report, it’s currently the only industry to have seen a negative employment trend
from 2016 to 2017.
Focus Group Insights The topic of diversity emerged in several focus groups this year, but dominated our conversations with
employers in the Professional Services industry cluster. With a number of retirements expected over the
next five to ten years, a majority of focus group participants mentioned that it would be important to
ensure their respective industries were diverse over the coming years. In seeking a more diverse talent
pool, employers often had to channel their recruiting efforts outside of the region — as many noted that
competition for the diverse candidates located within the region was particularly intense.
The integration of technology within the industry was another point that appeared to resonate with a
majority of the employers present, with these technological advancements being felt in virtually every role
across the spectrum — from low-skill and entry-level positions, to more experienced positions and those
at the higher end of the wage bracket. While these changes have required employers to continually
retrain their staff members and update their policies, in some situations they have broadened the job
responsibilities of certain individuals — particularly for those tasked with organizing and maintaining up-
to-date electronic records, as opposed to traditional hard-copy archives.
Another frequent topic of conversation revolved around the various types of employment arrangements
regional employers have seen implemented in recent years, most of which are not typical of their
occupations. Employers in the Professional Services industry sector are noticing an increase in the
number of employees working remotely or part-time, which many viewed as a possible retention strategy
to combat against increasing competition for local talent. When offering employees the opportunity to
work from home one or two days a week — or to work on a part-time basis — employers noted a
decrease in the productivity of their workers, but a relative increase in measures of job satisfaction which
were reflected in their job turnover rates.
Top Sector Competencies with Importance and Level scores (on a scale of 0 to 100) Knowledge Skills
English Language 72, 59 Active Listening 70, 55
Customer and Personal Service 70, 64 Speaking 68, 54
Computers and Electronics 60, 59 Reading Comprehension 68, 58
Abilities Work Activities
Oral Comprehension 73, 61 Getting Information 83, 63
Oral Expression 72, 60 Interacting with Computers 79, 54
Written Comprehension 71, 59 Making Decisions/Solving Problems 78, 64
(-0.7%)
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 31
Top Occupations in the Professional Services Sector Wages* Growth Annual Openings
Due to Growth Title Starting Median 10-Year
Accountants and Auditors $24.78 $29.57 14.8% 64
Computer User Support Specialists $15.46 $20.26 15.9% 44
Customer Service Representatives $13.58 $16.23 11.8% 167
Financial Managers $38.46 $52.59 10.6% 23
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative
Support Workers $18.34 $23.97 10.3% 50
General and Operations Managers $35.14 $50.16 10.8% 100
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $17.60 $21.69 7.6% 97
Helpers--Production Workers $10.24 $11.15 9.4% 62
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers $9.99 $11.44 10.0% 63
Insurance Sales Agents $16.11 $22.32 15.1% 47
Lawyers $28.43 $37.60 8.8% 17
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $13.03 $16.04 9.9% 71
Management Analysts $28.05 $35.34 19.4% 26
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $22.92 $29.56 22.8% 44
Mechanical Engineers $25.87 $32.14 13.0% 34
Office Clerks, General $12.27 $14.96 6.5% 118
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing,
Except Technical and Scientific Products $22.38 $32.07 9.0% 105
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except
Legal, Medical, $13.34 $16.76 5.9% 55
Software Developers, Applications $27.08 $35.85 24.4% 41
Stock Clerks and Order Fillers $10.95 $12.83 4.6% 44
These occupations were chosen by a combination of the sum of percent ranks over four variables of
interest: the projected 10-year growth rate, the median wage, the projected number of annual growth
openings, and the projected number of annual replacement openings. They are listed here alphabetically.
Starting wages refer to the 25th percentile within the area, while median is equal to the 50th percentile. The
ten-year percentage growth and annual average openings due to growth are from the Bureau of Labor
Market Information and Strategic Initiative’s Long-Term Occupational forecasts for the 13-county West
Michigan Region.
* Wage data is reflective of the occupations specifically within the industry sector, rather than the wages for the
occupation throughout the economy.
32 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Retail and Hospitality Services
2017 Employment Trend Average Compensation Total Wages
158,599
▲ (0.3%)
$24,716 Annual, 2017
$3.92 billion in 2017
Retail and Hospitality Services, another relatively new addition to the Talent Assessment and Outlook
report, is the largest of the seven sectors highlighted in the report. This broad sector encompasses four
industries: Retail Trade, Accommodation and Food Services, Other Services, and Arts, Entertainment and
Recreation. While each of these industries experienced employment growth from 2016 to 2017, their
combined growth of 0.3 percent was the second lowest of any industry included in the report.
Focus Group Insights Although most of the employers included in this sector agreed that there is generally high demand for
talent at all experience levels, though particularly for entry-level positions, the consensus would indicate
that Retail and Hospitality is a retention-oriented industry. The main challenge referenced by employers
was in maintaining low turnover rates, which appears to be difficult in the present economy. Too many
entry-level candidates lack the highly-desired soft skills of communication and customer service, yet a
majority of those with the potential to fine-tune these skills are entering the labor force for their first time
— presenting new challenges resulting from their unfamiliarity with how to maintain employment.
The dominant quality that most employers in Retail and Hospitality Services are seeking is customer
service, a soft skill that is in-demand for many sectors but serves as a point of emphasis for employers
within this industry cluster. Indeed, many participants stated that they have continued to enhance their
hiring and interviewing processes to better gauge a candidate’s customer service skills, especially for the
majority of entry-level applicants who possess no previous work experience. Furthermore, many
employers are focusing on revamping their onboarding processes in an attempt to improve retention, with
a majority in agreement that the first few months of employment are the most crucial when it comes to the
retention of entry-level employees.
While most of the jobs on the Top Occupations list were regarded as having a high volume of hiring
across the board, one large employer suggested that the most difficult occupations to find talent for were
specialized, low-volume positions. These would include occupations of high importance, like meat cutters,
bakers, or pharmacists, which require some form of specialized knowledge and skillset before hiring.
Top Sector Competencies with Importance and Level scores (on a scale of 0 to 100) Knowledge Skills
Customer and Personal Service 75, 63 Active Listening 65, 49
English Language 62, 48 Speaking 65, 48
Administration and Management 54, 43 Reading Comprehension 60, 51
Abilities Work Activities
Oral Comprehension 70, 55 Getting Information 78, 52
Oral Expression 68, 54 Communicating with Supervisors… 72, 54
Speech Recognition 63, 47 Making Decisions/Solving Problems 68, 52
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 33
Top Occupations in the Retail and Hospitality Services Sector Wages* Growth Annual Openings
Due to Growth Title Starting Median 10-Year
Automotive Body and Related Repairers $15.53 $19.65 10.0% 10
Cashiers $9.20 $9.66 0.8% 13
Customer Service Representatives $10.06 $12.05 11.8% 167
First-Line Supervisors of Office and
Administrative Support Workers $15.43 $19.78 10.3% 50
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $14.74 $17.98 5.4% 40
General and Operations Managers $27.24 $36.62 10.8% 100
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge,
and Coffee Shop $9.18 $9.52 6.4% 12
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks $9.54 $10.69 22.0% 20
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and
Housekeeping Cleaners $9.52 $10.95 10.2% 128
Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers $9.88 $11.79 7.5% 37
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $9.48 $10.44 15.1% 62
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $11.98 $15.52 9.9% 71
Office Clerks, General $11.05 $14.84 6.5% 118
Parts Salespersons $10.17 $11.78 9.4% 26
Pharmacists $49.79 $55.94 8.6% 10
Receptionists and Information Clerks $9.69 $11.51 8.3% 35
Retail Salespersons $9.36 $10.64 6.8% 133
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants,
Except Legal, Medical, $11.99 $14.48 5.9% 55
Stock Clerks and Order Fillers $9.53 $10.88 4.6% 44
Waiters and Waitresses $9.14 $9.41 4.9% 60
These occupations were chosen by a combination of the sum of percent ranks over four variables of
interest: the projected 10-year growth rate, the median wage, the projected number of annual growth
openings, and the projected number of annual replacement openings. They are listed here alphabetically.
Starting wages refer to the 25th percentile within the area, while median is equal to the 50th percentile. The
ten-year percentage growth and annual average openings due to growth are from the Bureau of Labor
Market Information and Strategic Initiative’s Long-Term Occupational forecasts for the 13-county West
Michigan Region.
* Wage data is reflective of the occupations specifically within the industry sector, rather than the wages for the
occupation throughout the economy.
34 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Focus Group Insights The nine sector focus group sessions occurred across seven different industry sectors, and four themes
emerged that were common to a majority of employers from every sector.
Millennials The topic of the generation shift occurring in the labor force, with a notable number of references to
“Millennials,” was a frequent component of conversation among this year’s employer focus group
sessions. Despite no specific prompting on the topic, discussions about younger workers (although the
term “Millennials” was more frequently cited) generally arose during questions about career pathing,
retention challenges, and recruitment strategies.
Although some of the feedback received during these sessions remained the same for many employers
across differing industries, characteristics of younger workers were often interpreted as either beneficial
or harmful to an organization’s efficiency. It was often suggested that the communication style associated
with the younger generation could present challenges, particularly when it came to communicating
tardiness or absences over the phone as opposed to text messaging. However, some of the region’s
employers have embraced this new communication style as a tool to improve retention, integrating
messaging channels as a means to improve communication across departments and to establish
relationships among employees. A few employers also mentioned adapting their management styles in
order to improve the success of younger workers, incorporating more face-to-face communication to
improve learning, job satisfaction, and retention.
A majority of employers also referenced the ambitious nature of Millennials, with some seeing this as
more of a negative than others. The consensus being that younger workers typically strive to attain a
promotion as fast as possible, not fully comprehending the breadth of knowledge and skills required to
move to the next phase of the career path. On account of this, many local employers have enhanced their
career pathing tactics to promote a more streamlined, standardized promotions process in order to groom
internal candidates for specialized, late-in-career roles. It would appear that there’s more value in career
pathing and company culture than wages, as many local business leaders stressed that employees
needed to know there was room for growth within a company or they might go elsewhere.
Company Culture and Benefits Company culture was frequently discussed in conjunction with the topic of Millennials. Many local
employers, from across the seven industries, noted that Millennials often discuss a company’s culture
either during the interview process or soon after they’ve been hired. In an effort to improve culture, many
local companies have placed an emphasis on establishing relationships among coworkers by hosting
monthly events for staff or by promoting community volunteer opportunities. As previously mentioned,
some employers have also integrated more hands-on management approaches in their efforts to improve
culture and to establish vertical communications between supervisors and their subordinates. These
efforts have been well received by these companies’ younger employees, but also by their older workers.
Job benefits were a popular topic among employers during this year’s focus groups, particularly during
conversations regarding retention strategies. It would seem, for a majority of local employers, that health
insurance is no longer optional when it comes to attracting or retaining employees. Rather than trying to
offer a more competitive insurance rate or more comprehensive coverage, many local companies are
updating their policies regarding paid time off as a means to both attract and retain employees. Some
choose to provide more vacation time on the front end, while others are now offering paid time off to
cover time spent volunteering or taking tuition-reimbursed educational courses.
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 35
Soft Skills A third topic to emerge in almost every focus groups this year referred to a lack in soft skills — such as
communication, problem solving, critical thinking, and self-sufficiency — particularly prominent among
younger workers. Although there were numerous mentions of a lapse in technical skills for the Millennial
generation, specifically within the Manufacturing and Construction focus groups, nearly every industry
indicated that soft skills were lacking in their younger employees.
Self-sufficiency and problem solving appear to be emerging pain points for employers seeking qualified
candidates in the region, according to the feedback gathered during this year’s focus groups. A majority
of the region’s employers have noticed an unwillingness in recent hires to act independently, failing to
either recognize an issue or to address one without the guidance or coaching of a supervisor. As one
local employer stated, “they can’t be afraid to fail and then figure out how to fix it.” While some
organizations have tried adopting a more direct, face-to-face communication style in an attempt to
mitigate these emerging issues, some participants argue that overparenting and overcoaching are the
root of the problem.
Regardless of the source of the soft skills gap, communication was the most frequently cited skill seen
lacking among new hires across the board. Whether it be communicating absences, asking questions
regarding projects, or interacting with customers, local employers have noted a shift in the social skills of
the talent pool. Particularly for occupations in Information Technology, where customer service skills have
become a vital component of hiring decisions, the ability to effectively communicate has become a much
sought-after sector competency.
Social Media in Hiring The use of social media as a means to recruit talent was the final topic common across our discussions
with employers from each of the seven industry clusters included in our focus groups. Since last year’s
report, employers from every sector have now established a presence among various social media
channels in their search for qualified talent, allowing them to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each
method. It should be noted that enthusiasm for social media has not been expressed across the board,
even with our modest sample of employers.
The consensus of our focus group participants would suggest that social media channels compare
favorably to traditional jobs boards when it comes to attracting talent, particularly for those seeking local
talent. Facebook is often implemented as a referral technique, boosting the visibility of a job
advertisement to the local talent pool when shared by an employee — which is especially useful in
industries like Construction or Manufacturing, where job vacancies are predominately filled utilizing
techniques like word-of-mouth or employee referrals. Across all industries, focus group participants
regarded Facebook as a useful tool to find high-caliber candidates in the local area, but with a much
smaller quantity of applicants when compared to the counts associated with traditional job board sites —
where many often saw high-volume applicant pools, with a majority of applicants possessing irrelevant
job experience or skills with respect to the specifics of an advertisement.
Many employers in several sectors are also active on LinkedIn, with several purchasing admittedly-
expensive “recruiter seats.” While traditional job boards seem to do a better job of providing candidates to
fill early-in-career positions, many local employers are turning to LinkedIn to recruit candidates for their
more specialized roles — especially in Health Care, where competition for high-skill, late-in-career talent
occurs on a national scale. Several employers across industry sectors are also using social media for
reasons beyond simply posting jobs. Some use it to establish an online presence, in order to attract
candidates who are looking for employers with a positive profile, while others utilize social media
channels to build their brand recognition.
36 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Real-Time Demand
Although real-time demand is an imperfect means to assess the level of job vacancies in the region, job
advertisement aggregating tools — such as The Conference Board’s Help Wanted Online © data series
— can provide insight to help us determine which occupations are most in-demand today, according to
the current hiring of local employers.
In July 2018, the West Michigan region had a demand of 17,737 advertisements, up nearly 1.7 percent
from the number of advertisements in July of 2017. Employers with the most postings include Mercy
Medical Center, Spectrum Health, and Meijer. During the same reference month there were 137,714 job
ads posted across the state of Michigan, meaning that West Michigan accounted for almost 13 percent of
all ads in the state.
The total number of job ads in West Michigan
has followed a generally downward trend since
the end of 2015, where job postings
reached their peak at almost 32,000. July
was the seventh month in a row that the job
ad total for the region failed to exceed
20,000, yet is the only month over the first
half of 2018 where ads exceeded their
corresponding levels from the previous
year.
When estimating educational requirements
for current job advertisements in West
Michigan, it would appear that nearly half,
or 46.0 percent, are for positions that
generally stipulate education beyond a high
school diploma. In stark contrast to the 39.0
percent of advertisements that required only a high school diploma, only 4.0 percent
of job ads in July mandated either a Master’s or a Doctoral degree.
Grand Rapids leads the cities within the region with the most job postings (according to the location listed
in the advertisement). At 7,898 job ads, Grand Rapids accounts for 44.5 percent of the total ads posted in
West Michigan in July 2018. Holland and Muskegon follow, with 1,556 and 1,236 ads posted,
respectively.
Online Job Advertisements Trend - West Michigan, 2010 - 2018
Online Job Advertisements by
Education Level, July 2018
Graph 10
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
20182017201620152014201320122011
Graph 11
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 37
Occupational Groups Hiring Although Health Care positions as an
occupational group traditionally lead other
groups with respect to the number of job
advertisements, Sales and Related
Occupations — with 2,466 ads in July
2018 — was the most advertised
occupational group in West Michigan.
Contributing 13.6 percent of all ads posted in
the region over the month, this category was
primarily driven by a high volume of job ads
for Retail Salespersons, with 701 job ads in
July 2018.
The next high-demand occupational category was Office and Administrative Support Occupations,
accounting for 10.4 percent of all advertisements with 1,890 postings. Transportation and Material Moving
Occupations and Health Care Practitioners and Technical Occupations, two mainstays on West Michigan
job boards, were positioned next with 1,546 and 1,523 job ads, respectively. Finally, Production
Occupations add an additional 1,386 job ads in West Michigan. Combined, these top five occupational
categories account for nearly half of all the job ads posted across the region in July 2018.
Job Advertisements Posted for More than 90 Days Job advertisements remaining active for a duration of more than 90 days are often considered “hard-to-
fill,” which can also include postings for positions that experience continuous turnover. These postings
consist of occupations from across the spectrum, regardless of industry and educational requirements,
and generally reflect the broad landscape of all job advertisements in the region.
As of July 2018, the occupation with the largest number of hard-to-fill job postings in West Michigan was
Registered Nurses, with 43 postings. While this number ranks higher than the second-most hard-to-fill
occupation, Customer Service Representatives (35 hard-to-fill ads), it’s a far cry from last year’s estimate
of 225 hard-to-fill ads. Whereas about 34.8 percent of all job ads for Registered Nurses were considered
hard-to-fill in July 2017, only about 7.2 percent of current job ads are considered the same. This metric is
just over 9.7 percent for Customer Service Representatives. Other occupations considered hard-to-fill in
West Michigan include First-line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers (34 hard-to-fill ads), Cashiers (31
ads), and Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers (30 ads).
Occupational Category Job Ads
Sales and Related 2,466
Office and Administrative Support 1,890
Transportation and Material Moving 1,546
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical 1,523
Production 1,386
Occupation Postings Over 90 days
Registered Nurses 43
Customer Service Representatives 35
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 34
Cashiers 31
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 30
Online Job Advertisements by
Occupational Category, West Michigan,
July 2018
Job Advertisements Active for 90+ Days by Occupation, West Michigan, July 2018
Chart 3
Chart 4
38 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Occupational Outlook The Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives produces Long-Term Occupational
Outlook forecasts for regions throughout the state every two years. This year, the most up-to-date
information available for Michigan’s ten Prosperity Regions remains the same as last year, covering the
period from 2014 to 2024. Although the bureau’s new occupational projections were released for the state
this summer, covering the period from 2016 to 2026, this new set of projections won’t be released at the
regional-level until the summer of 2019. As such, this section contains highlights from last year’s analysis.
For the ten-year forecasting period, West
Michigan’s occupational employment is
expected to grow by 9.8 percent, an
increase in employment of 72,815.
Annualized over the period, this equates to
just under 1.0 percent per year (with annual
fluctuations expected). This ten-year
percentage growth outpaces the 7.4 percent
growth expected in Michigan during the
same time period (via an added 327,030
jobs) as well as the projected 6.5 percent
growth for the United States from 2014 to
2024, which translates to an additional
9,788,900 jobs.
The anticipated 9.8 percent occupational
employment growth in West Michigan is the
highest of Michigan’s Prosperity Regions,
ahead of Region 9/Southeast Michigan (8.0
percent), Region 10/Detroit Metro (7.8
percent), and Region 2/Northwest Michigan
(6.7 percent). In terms of future numeric job growth, West Michigan ranks behind Detroit Metro (144,025
expected added jobs) but well ahead of Southeast Michigan (34,545).
Percent Employment Growth by Prosperity Region,
State, and Nation, 2014 - 2024
Employment Growth by Prosperity Region, 2014 - 2024
Graph 12
Graph 13
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 39
Occupations and Areas of Growth
Of the 72,815 added jobs expected in West Michigan, over one in five are expected in just two
occupational groups: Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations and Production Occupations.
Growth Total Annual
Openings # %
Total, All Occupations 72,815 9.8% 25,351
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical 7,530 19.8% 1,589
Production 7,470 7.5% 3,164
Transportation and Material Moving 6,250 10.6% 2,052
Education, Training, and Library 5,440 11.4% 1,551
Office and Administrative Support 5,025 5.0% 2,754
With an expected 19.8 percent change in employment from 2014 to 2024 by adding 7,530 is Healthcare
Practitioners and Technical Occupations. This employment change is projected to produce 1,589 annual
openings, with nearly half of those openings (754) due to growth (rather than replacement of existing
workers). Much of this growth is driven by the occupation category’s largest occupation, Registered
Nurses, which is projected to add 3,275 jobs, resulting in 23.9 percent growth and 650 average annual
openings. The next highest occupation in this category in terms of numeric growth is Physical Therapists,
which is expected to add 505 jobs, or 31.7 percent growth.
Production Occupations, which is expected to become the largest occupational category by the year
2024, is projected to add 7,470 jobs, albeit by a slightly lower 7.5 percent growth. This will create 3,164
job openings each year; however, the majority of these (2,244 per year) will be replacing current
employment. Team Assemblers, already the largest occupation within the category, is projected to add
2,020 jobs during the forecasting period, which translates to 10.2 percent growth. This nearly doubles the
numeric growth expected in Machinists, which will grow by 21.4 percent through 2024, an additional
1,040 jobs. Unlike Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations, there are several occupations in
Production that are expected to lose employment during the forecasting period, most notably Molding,
Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Cutting,
Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. This is likely related to
the skills and work activities needed for the positions, and the likelihood that those processes will become
automated over time.
Other occupations that are not as large but are expecting the largest percentage growth in West Michigan
are Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity (growing by 42.6 percent, adding 200 jobs), Occupational
Therapists Assistants (37.7 percent, 130 jobs), Physical Therapist Assistants (37.2 percent, 305 jobs),
and Operations Research Analysts (35.3 percent, 30 jobs).
Occupation Growth
Rate Annual
Openings
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity 42.6% 26
Occupational Therapist Assistants 37.7% 23
Physical Therapist Assistants 37.2% 54
Operations Research Analysts 35.3% 5
Of the 528 occupations published in the 2024 regional forecast, 436 are expected to grow in West
Michigan. It is expected that there will be 25,351 total annual openings during the forecasting period.
Chart 5
Chart 6
40 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Forecasting Competencies
Using the Long-Term Occupational Forecasts, the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic
Initiatives is able to cross core competencies from the Department of Labor’s O*Net Online tool with job
projections to gain an understanding of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and work activities that will be in
demand through 2024. While the competencies identified in the Sector Focus section apply to the top
occupations within those sectors, these areas of importance apply to all jobs within West Michigan, and
how important they are in occupations which are expecting the most openings due to growth through
2024.
Knowledge Knowledge areas are “Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains.” Two of the top knowledges that are important for growing occupations are English Language (necessary in 84.6 percent of annual openings due to growth) and Customer and Personal Service (71.1 percent). The latter of these fit into the Essential Skills Framework, a pilot program at Northview High School to help better prepare high schoolers for their careers.
English Language
Customer and Personal Service
Mathematics
Administration and Management
Mechanical
Skills Skills are defined as “Developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge.” Four of the top five skills with regards to being important for growing jobs are defined as “Basic Skills.” These are led by Active Listening (73.2 percent) and Speaking (70.5 percent).
Active Listening
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Social Perceptiveness
Reading Comprehension
Skills (non-Basic) Because the top Skills tend to be classified as Basic Skills, we have also looked at how non-Basic skills cross with job projections. Here, we see that Coordination (64.7 percent), Social Perceptiveness (63.0 percent), and Judgment and Decision Making (59.4 percent) lead.
Coordination
Social Perceptiveness
Judgment and Decision Making
Time Management
Service Orientation
Abilities Abilities are “Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance.” As was the case with the last set of projections, four of the five Abilities which will be necessary in growth openings through 2025 are Cognitive abilities. Most prominent among growth openings are Oral Comprehension (70.0 percent) and Oral Expression (54.6 percent).
Oral Comprehension
Oral Expression
Problem Sensitivity
Near Vision
Written Comprehension
Work Activities Work Activities are “General types of job behaviors occurring on multiple jobs.” The top activity, Getting Information, is found in 80.2 percent of annual openings due to growth in West Michigan. Behind this is Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (56.1 percent) and Making Decisions and Solving Problems (29.5 percent).
Getting Information
Communicating with Supervisors, etc.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Performing General Physical Activities
Inspecting Equipment, etc.
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 41
Sources
Page Source 10 U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, 2017 Population Estimates
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, 2000-2010 Intercensal Estimates
11 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2012-2016 5-Year Estimates, County-to-County Migration Tables
12 Erickcek, George A., Brain Pittelko, Claudette, Robey, Bridget Timmeney. 2013. "A Comprehensive Analysis of the Current and Future Talent Needs for the TALENT 2025 Region." Report prepared for TALENT 2025. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2012-2016 5-Year Estimates
13 U.S. Census Bureau, OnTheMap Application, Longitudinal-Employer Household Dynamics, 2015 data
14 DTMB, Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, Local Area Unemployment Statistics
15 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2012-2016 5-Year Estimates
16-17 DTMB, Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
19-33 DTMB, Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics O*Net Online Database Talxcellenz© DTMB, Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, Occupational Long-Term Forecast (2014-2024)
36-37 The Conference Board, Help Wanted Online© Data Series U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections Table 1.11
38-39 DTMB, Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, Occupational Long-Term Forecast (2014-2024)
40 DTMB, Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, Occupational Long-Term Forecast (2014-2024) O*Net Online Database
42 | Talent Assessment and Outlook
Appendices
Appendix 1 For the comparative areas, the 11 other regions were chosen because they met two criteria: population
fell within 30 percent of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Muskegon, MI CSA, and the percent of total private
employment that was in Manufacturing was over 10 percent. Population data is from the U.S. Census
Bureau, Population Estimates Program, July 1st, 2017 population estimate. Employment data is from the
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2016 1-Year Estimates.
For the purposes of the analysis in the call-out boxes, American Community Survey 2012-2016 5-Year
Estimates data was used (since the West Michigan region must be built from the county level). In these
rankings, the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Muskegon, MI CSA was replaced by West Michigan.
Peer Region % Employment in
Manufacturing 2017 Population
Estimate Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL CSA 11.3% 1,364,062
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY CSA 10.8% 1,214,204
Dayton-Springfield-Sidney, OH CSA 17.1% 1,077,108
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Muskegon, MI CSA 21.9% 1,456,935
Greensboro—Winston-Salem—High Point, NC CSA 15.3% 1,663,532
Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC CSA 20.7% 1,459,766
Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA CSA 12.8% 1,260,071
Hartford-West Hartford, CT CSA 11.4% 1,479,292
Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN CSA 11.6% 1,128,379
Louisville/Jefferson County—Elizabethtown—Madison, KY-IN CSA
14.5% 1,522,112
Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY CSA 11.8% 1,170,402
Tulsa-Muskogee-Bartlesville, OK CSA 12.1% 1,160,612
Appendix 2 The following NAICS industry assignments are made to create sector definitions:
NAICS NAICS Industry Name Sector 11 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting Agriculture
21 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction Energy and Construction 22 Utilities
23 Construction
62 Health Care and Social Assistance Health Care
51 Information IT and Media
31-33 Manufacturing Manufacturing
52 Finance and Insurance
Professional Services
53 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 54 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 55 Management of Companies and Enterprises 56 Administrative and Support and Waste Management and
Remediation Services
44-45 Retail Trade
Retail and Hospitality Services 71 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 72 Accommodation and Food Services 81 Other Services (except Public Administration)
Talent Assessment and Outlook | 43
Appendix 3 The four competency areas are defined as follows:
• Knowledge - Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains.
• Skills - Developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge.
• Abilities - Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance.
• Work Activities - General types of job behaviors occurring on multiple jobs.
Using the Talxcellenz© online tool, we generate O*Net Online database competency scores for the
combined top occupations within the given sectors, both for Importance and Level.
Importance and Level scores are the result of extensive, statistically random surveys of businesses about
occupations at the O*Net code level.
Importance score: This rating indicates the degree of importance a particular descriptor is to the
occupation. The possible ratings range from "Not Important" (1) to "Extremely Important" (5). It is then
standardized on a scale of 0 to 100.
Level score: This rating indicates the degree, or point along a continuum, to which a particular descriptor
is required or needed to perform the occupation.
Each level score can be further investigated on the O*Net Online database, with specific scales for each
occupation. For the skill Reading Comprehension, the following example level scale is for Lawyers (23-
1011):
More information can be found at the O*Net Online database.
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