City of Detroit unemployment rate matches 20-year low, more than 10,000 jobs available today

City of Detroit unemployment rate matches 20-year low, more than 10,000 jobs available today

• National Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today says Detroit unemployment is 7%
• Detroit at Work meets residents where they are and prepares them for the workforce
• Companies hiring through Detroit at Work say the system is a success

***Interview availabilities upon request***

DETROIT – Mayor Mike Duggan and city officials today announce the city’s unemployment rate has fallen to 7%, according to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics September 2022 Employment Data Report, released this morning: down from 7.9% in August of this year, and from 12.5% this time last year. This matches the lowest rate the City of Detroit has seen since September 2000 and is attributed to continued development and investment in the city and its workforce.

“If you listen to what people are saying across the country, many say the U.S. is on the brink of a recession. If you look at what's happening here in Detroit, that is simply not the case,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “Here in Detroit, we create opportunity for our residents by removing barriers to employment. While there is still work to be done, we are thrilled to see this level of unemployment among our residents.”

At the height of the COVID pandemic in May of 2020, Detroit’s unemployment rate spiked to more than 38%. In an August 2021 study, University of Michigan’s Economic Forecast report predicted the city’s unemployment would drop to 6.9% by 2026. We are nearly there today and are confident the momentum will continue as more development comes to Detroit and more Detroiters are getting workforce ready.

Detroit at Work, the City of Detroit’s workforce development ecosystem, works to create career opportunities for Detroiters at all levels of education, experience, and skills, and to give employers access to a highly qualified talent pipeline. Since January of this year, Detroit at Work has held 61 job fairs, with more than 10,738 people in attendance.  

“We've had hundreds of Detroiters hired by local companies in the past 90 days, and we have more than 10,000 jobs available through Detroit at Work,” said Nicole Sherard-Freeman, Group Executive of Jobs, Economy, and Detroit at Work. “There is no shortage of opportunity in Detroit. Now is the time to call Detroit at Work. If economic winds do start to shift, you want to be sure you didn’t wait so long to get back into the job market that you've missed your chance.”

Detroiters are being hired every day for jobs and careers in growth industries, such as manufacturing, I.T. and healthcare.

Detroit at Work meets residents where they are, whether that’s through education, skills training, job placement and even entrepreneurship advice. Tisheam McAdoo was a returning citizen who found support through Detroit at Work and now has a good-paying job that supports his family. “Detroit at Work gave me the opportunity to be paid while earning my CDL-A license,” said Tisheam. “Since I was returning to the workforce after 20 years, I needed a boost. The City of Detroit and Detroit at Work gave me that and put me in a position to be successful.”

Karen Banks was unemployed when she turned to Detroit at Work, and was hired soon after by Majorel, a Fortune 500 Company who recently announced the opening of a Detroit office and a commitment to prioritize hiring Detroiters. Banks said, “Working for Majorel is a unique experience. They are very welcoming. I am excited and looking forward to growing within the company.”

Hundreds of local companies are hiring today, right here in the City of Detroit. These companies say the Detroiters they are bringing in through the Detroit at Work talent pipeline are exceeding their expectations.

“Detroit at Work has outperformed some of our longest-standing recruitment and sourcing strategies,” said Peter Scher, Vice Chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co, who just opened a new virtual US call center here in Detroit. “The quality of the talented and committed candidates that they have helped us source is a testament to the effectiveness of community-based talent sourcing as a best practice approach to meeting corporate talent needs. Their approach is raising the bar and serves as a model for the rest of the country.”

“Ultimately, the talent is what brought us to Detroit,” Gus Gikas, Majorel’s Vice President of Operations for North America, said. “You can train employees on the technical side of customer service, but success in this role takes compassion, a collaborative attitude, and positive thinking. Detroit at Work has outperformed our expectations and helped us get up and running with a pool of Detroiters who possess these qualities. We currently have over 575 team members and this would not have been possible without the strength of our partnership with Detroit at Work!”

“Detroit at Work’s employment solutions have afforded us incredible results in hiring additional residents from Detroit. DAW has provided assistance in building talent pipelines for our front-line positions, apprenticeship programs and helped us engage returning citizens,” said AJ Evans, Consultant - Workforce Diversity, Workforce Solutions & Employee Relations for Henry Ford Health Systems, who recently committed to priority hiring for Detroiters. “They have been instrumental in increasing knowledge of career pathways in healthcare with sustainable wages, providing barrier to successful employment support, and increasing visibility of our job opportunities with their social media presence. We are partnering with Detroit at Work on several initiatives, ongoing and in the planning phase, designed to engage Detroiters and increase their presence and success in the healthcare industry.”

“We are grateful for the partnership and support that Detroit at Work has provided to Dakkota Integrated Systems and several other businesses within the Rush Group over the years. The support the city extends is beyond measure in assisting us on our mission to provide Detroiters jobs in the neighborhoods where we do business,” said Roslyn Wallace, Chief Human Resources Officer for Dakkota Integrated Systems, who relied on Detroit at Work to help staff its new “Kettering Plant” on Detroit’s East Side, prioritizing Detroiters who share a  zip code of the plant and the four surrounding zip codes. “We are determined to stay the course and keep pressing forward. In addition to native Detroiters, Detroit at Work has also referred roughly 30 foreign refugees that are now working with us, and we look forward to bringing on more. Our partnership with Detroit at Work allows us to provide more work to those in need and assist new employees in building a future for them and their families. We are humbled yet proud to extend these opportunities and help them realize possibilities that perhaps was once doubtful.”

About Detroit at Work

Detroit at Work is the City of Detroit’s workforce development ecosystem that works to strengthen Detroit’s talent pool, create career opportunities for Detroiters at all levels of education, experience, and skills, and give employers access to a demand-driven talent pipeline.

Detroit at Work offers residents and employers a centralized resource for all workforce development resources, including a career center network, recruitment services, workforce insights, training programs and strategic partnerships. 

The Detroit at Work website at https://detroitatwork.com/ is a centralized online portal sharing information with Detroiters to help them find employment, advance their career through training, or access a range of supportive services. Employers can partner with Detroit at Work to recruit, train, and retain qualified residents for open positions.

Detroit at Work is powered by Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation and implements the vision of the Mayor’s Workforce Development Board.