Since 2010, Oakland County Led the Nation in Job Growth

[hybridy]

Are these just auto jobs that were lost during the recession?

Job growth in Oakland County — up 11 percent since 2010 — has outpaced other counties of similar population in the U.S., Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson announced today.
“Oakland County plays a significant role in Michigan’s economic recovery because of our deep dive into the knowledge-based economy,” Patterson says. “And from the looks of it, we are a leader in the nation as well.”

Using the May 2014 jobs numbers just released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dan Riley, a market research analyst for Oakland County’s department of economic development and community affairs, compared job growth since 2010 in Oakland County to other counties of similar size:

• Oakland County — 11 percent
• Wake County, N.C. — 10 percent
• Macomb County, Mich. — 9.4 percent
• Hennepin County, Minn. — 6.6 percent
• Orange County, Calif. — 6.2 percent
• Fairfield County, Conn. — 3.9 percent
• Nassau County, N.Y. — 2.4 percent
• Fairfax County, Va. — 2.3 percent
• Montgomery County, Md. — 2.2 percent

The May 2014 jobs figures from the bureau indicate that Oakland County’s labor force increased by 5,600 to 594,916 workers from the previous month, while the number of employed residents grew by 2,800. Because of more participation in Oakland County’s workforce, the May unemployment figure for Oakland County is 6.9 percent, up from 6.5 percent in April.
“Greater participation in our county workforce indicates that individuals have growing confidence in our economy,” Patterson says.

DBUSINESS DAILY NEWS

[Bham1982]

Obviously this is propaganda from L. Brooks. Everyone knows that the sprawlburbs of Oakland are dying, the McMansions are all being abandoned, and the new hot spots and wealth centers are all in the inner-city...

[313WX]

are these just auto jobs that were lost during the recession?

Yes.

And they pay a lot less than before the recession as well.

[nain rouge]

It really is good news, though OC's unemployment figures are still above the national average. Basically, it shows that the county is marching back to normalcy. Context is important. It's like bragging when a D student raises their average grade to a C+ that their grades are increasing faster than the people with A's.

[rex]

The big Autos dont really have much going on in Oakland County. Look up Chrysler, GM, and Ford factories on Wikipedia.

[drjeff]

Note the caveat "other counties of similar population." OC did not, in fact, lead the country in job growth.

[renf]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates of employment in Oakland County are as
follows:
1990 567,000
1999 660,800 [[high point)
2010 520,400 [[low point)
April 2014 553,500

There has been an increase in employment but it is difficult to argue that all the jobs
lost in the recession are back. And the current job count is much under what it was in
Oakland County 15 or 24 years ago.

[313WX]

The big Autos dont really have much going on in Oakland County. Look up Chrysler, GM, and Ford factories on Wikipedia.

Perhaps, but many of the suppliers and the advertising/accounting/law firms Ford/GM/Chrysler use are based in Oakland County.

[nain rouge]

There has been an increase in employment but it is difficult to argue that all the jobs[/COLOR]
lost in the recession are back. And the current job count is much under what it was in
Oakland County 15 or 24 years ago.

Right. OC and MC have track records as great siphons. Those counties can siphon off wealth and jobs with the best of 'em. But both have struggled as long-term engines of growth. Though an "inner-city" may not be necessary for growth, the truth remains that we have a broken model in Metro Detroit. We depend on the car, but the American car industry is incapable of regaining its former dominance.

[Detroitnerd]

Running a quote from LBP and a press release as if it were gospel national news? It smacks of desperation ...

[emu steve]

Running a quote from LBP and a press release as if it were gospel national news? It smacks of desperation ...

I went to a BLS press release [[referenced below) which has employment changes for Dec '12 and Dec '13.

Job growth within the U.S. grew 1.8%. Oakland grew 1.9%. [[insert shoulder shrug here).

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cewqtr.t01.htm

Of course, I am using a BLS report which references a different time period than the OC statement.

If there is need, I could check for historical data, but most recent data shows modest job growth.

It is possible that OC had a 'bounce back' affect after the Great Recession and now things are a slow, steady job growth similar to what is being seen across the country.

[emu steve]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates of employment in Oakland County are as
follows:
1990 567,000
1999 660,800 [[high point)
2010 520,400 [[low point)
April 2014 553,500

There has been an increase in employment but it is difficult to argue that all the jobs
lost in the recession are back. And the current job count is much under what it was in
Oakland County 15 or 24 years ago.

Are these data the number of employees of Oakland County residents or actually employment within Oakland County?

BLS had employment within OC as 690K as of Dec '13.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Most of these jobs created probably don't pay much over minimum wage. $10.00 per hr at best.
Whoopie !! Nice way skew that fact.

[GUSHI]

10 buck a hour wow how many mcds in the Oc

[animatedmartian]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates of employment in Oakland County are as
follows:
1990 567,000
1999 660,800 [[high point)
2010 520,400 [[low point)
April 2014 553,500

There has been an increase in employment but it is difficult to argue that all the jobs
lost in the recession are back. And the current job count is much under what it was in
Oakland County 15 or 24 years ago.

This is true in pretty much all of Michigan as we progressively lost jobs throughout the 2000s. However, the nationwide recession started in 2007 and that's the benchmark people go by. The last recorded employment count before the recession was something like 578,000 for Oakland County. Last summer, employment numbers peaked at 561,000 so by the end of this summer, chances are Oakland County will come pretty close to 570,000. That's pretty much the jobs lost in the recession gained back for the most part.

[animatedmartian]

Most of these jobs created probably don't pay much over minimum wage. $10.00 per hr at best.
Whoopie !! Nice way skew that fact.

Someone must be really saving up all their money for their still to be demand for new condos and McMansions.

[Jimaz]

It's interesting that Macomb County is also high on that national list of counties. Does that indicate some regional phenomenon?

[emu steve]

It's interesting that Macomb County is also high on that national list of counties. Does that indicate some regional phenomenon?

Yeah, following L. Brooks' policies... Lol.

Even Downtown Detroit has more employees then say 2010.

[Detroitnerd]

Yeah, it means everything's peachy keen in suburbia. Thanks for the impartial news, LBP!

[Dexlin]

There is no way in hell that this is factually true. OC may have recovered well from the recession, but, no, it did not "ead the nation in job growth" since 2010. This is a patently bogus claim when I'm sure even the most unobservant American could off the top of their head name communities in places like North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, etc...who probably didn't just grow at faster rates, but in raw numbers.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

There is no way in hell that this is factually true. OC may have recovered well from the recession, but, no, it did not "ead the nation in job growth" since 2010. This is a patently bogus claim when I'm sure even the most unobservant American could off the top of their head name communities in places like North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, etc...who probably didn't just grow at faster rates, but in raw numbers.

Agreed. But people believe what they want to believe.

[Bham1982]

Someone must be really saving up all their money for their still to be demand for new condos and McMansions.

That's what I was thinking.

There are many thousands of new homes going up, usually at 400-500k+, so those minimum wage earners must have a hell of a savings plan.

[GUSHI]

Let not forget the older communities, that are affordable,

That's what I was thinking.

There are many thousands of new homes going up, usually at 400-500k+, so those minimum wage earners must have a hell of a savings plan.

[Danny]

Obviously this is propaganda from L. Brooks. Everyone knows that the sprawlburbs of Oakland are dying, the McMansions are all being abandoned, and the new hot spots and wealth centers are all in the inner-city...

What people are going to replace the sprawlburgs of Oakland County? Welfare and food stamp folks or dear, wolves, coyotes or wild humans a.k.a [[squatters). Suburban Sprawl in Oakland County will keep on growing. It's going to be for middle income folks who better careers and young professionals who left Gilberttown Detroit right after their second baby is born.

There are some fast growing numbers of ethnic Asians and East Indians moving into some cities from Novi to Troy. In a matter of fact, Troy has the largest ethnic Asian population in the metro-Detroit area over 20 percent. Give it about ten years and Troy Asian population will reach about 40 percent. Does this mean middle class white folks will flight back to Detroit or move out to 40 mile Rd? perhaps. But I do see middle white folks are still hanging on their pride and joy brick colonials of Pleasant Ridge to Prairie style homes of Royal Oak and Birmingham.


So far a continuing explosion of middle class black folks are still moving into Southfield, Oak Park and Lathrup Village. More middle class black folks will migrate further to Farmington Hills and West Bloomfield. Give it about 20 years and those suburbs will be majority black. What's left of Royal Oak TWP. becomes instant "Brewster Place Projects". L.B. Patterson will love to rid of that area. Pontiac still remains a sleepy black ghetto with nothing else to do but sit and wait.

Yes there is job growth in the OC and along come sprawl. It will continue until Detroit's gets better with its regional job growth leaving poor welfare and food stamp folks to leave their Detroit ghettos and move your Oakland County suburban area.

[DetroitPlanner]

I would have assumed the biggest job growth would be in North Dakota. Home of the $20 an hour McDonalds worker and $16 an hour hotel maid. [[and living in a camper with 3 room-mates at $1,000 a pop) http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2014/J...ack-Gold-Rush/