ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) - It may take a year-and-a-half to see a positive change in the job market and a brighter future for housing in the state of Michigan. That statement comes from Michigan's top economic forecaster, who says the state will lose thousands more jobs next year.
Don Movinski may not be an economist, but the out-of-work truck driver knows enough to see Michigan's economy is not improving.
"Nobody's hiring," Movinski says. "The economy's in the toilet."
When you look at car sales, jobs and housing, the nation is officially out of the recession. But Michigan's leading economic forecaster, University of Michigan's George Fulton, says Don Movinski is right on the money when it comes to workers' futures.
"We lost 283,000 jobs in 2009," says Fulton. "We see that diminishing to 85,000 jobs in 2010."
Fulton adds we are seeing improvements in the auto industry.
"Chrysler and GM got through bankruptcy quickly, so it's a matter of them getting their houses in order."
But as auto sales improve, auto jobs will continue to be lost here in Michigan, despite prospects looking good. But the auto industry will continue to lose jobs.
Housing is not turning around as quickly as other places, and the unemployed, like Don Movinski, will have to wait more than a year for things to turn around.
