Today, the annual Washtenaw County Outlook event will bring economists, businesses, and government officials together to address the current and future economic prospects for the county.
Lizzy Alfs of AnnArbor.com reports many were surprised to hear an economic forecast that Washtenaw County is expected to increase its job growth.
The forecast said the county is mid-way through a six year job growth period that has an expected overall growth of 25,000 jobs.
George Fulton and Donald Grimes from the Institute for Research on Labor, Employment, and the Economy at the University of Michigan made the forecast. They have forecasted job growth for the area since 1988.
They are predicting job growth will continue to increase by almost 13,000 jobs between 2013 - 2015 and that unemployment will drop from 5 percent to 4.3 percent.
Grimes was very optimistic about the county's job growth and economic prospects in an interview with AnnArbor.com.
“It’s sort of remarkable how quickly we have turned around,” Grimes said in an interview. “I don’t think we would have expected that three years ago.”
This year's Washtenaw County Outlook event is being held today (beginning at noon) in the Economic Club at Washtenaw Community College.
The Washtenaw County Economic Forecast for 2013-2015 will be released later today.
You can view the 2012-2014 economic forecast and view live coverage of the Washtenaw County Outlook event here.
- Marlon Phillips, Michigan Radio Newsroom