Southeast Michigan Has Lost Nearly Half Its Manufacturing Jobs Since 2000

Since 2000, nearly half the manufacturing jobs in Southeast Michigan have been lost, according to a new report by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments—with more to come.

The transportation equipment manufacturing sector alone has seen a 59 percent drop in employment, with a total loss of about 446,000 jobs.

The General Motors and Chrysler bankruptcies could mean an additional 12,280 jobs lost, according to the report, among dealerships and production facilities.

It’s impossible to predict the full extent of the impact, according to the report, because GM hasn’t made public how many of the 3,000 salaried jobs and 2,200 to 2,500 dealerships it plans to cut are in southeast Michigan.

The effect will likely spill beyond the auto industry, SEMCOG says. An additional 1.26 jobs could be lost for every automotive job lost, according to the report, in industries like suppliers, services or restaurants.

That’s another 14,224 jobs, according to the report. SEMCOG has predicted a 15 percent decline in taxable property values in 2009 and 2010.

Filed by Nancy Kaffer of Crain’s Detroit Business, a sister publication of Workforce Management. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com.