Detroit has long been a city of invention and reinvention. It’s a tradition that has attracted talent to our city, birthed businesses and entrepreneurs, and given us the hallowed reputation as gritty innovators. From auto capital to bankruptcy survivor to tech and design hub, we know what it means to build, attract, and innovate.
Right now, Detroit cannot afford to leave any worker behind. And the data tell us that we are. Detroit’s unemployment rate continues to outpace the state and national average. Many jobs that are available are low-wage, unstable, or inaccessible due to unreliable transit, training gaps, or discrimination. In Detroit, the median household income is $31,000 less than households in the region, and almost $45,000 less than a family of four needs to survive. Fewer dollars in the pockets of workers means less economic output.
Estimates suggest that Detroit is leaving money on the table. The persistent inequities we face cost the region an estimated $28 billion in lost economic activity per year…