Blog: Todd Palmer

Todd Palmer is our guest blogger this week. Todd founded Diversified Industrial Staffing, a company that provides staffing for manufacturing, construction and logistics businesses, and Diversified PEOple, a professional employer organization for small businesses. He sits on the board of directors for the Detroit Chapter of Entrepreneur’s Organization, and is a recent graduate of the Birthing of Giants class held at MIT. 

Check back each week day to read Todd's thoughts on keeping, identifying and attracting talent.

Post No. 3

You might hear me say there are jobs in Michigan if you know where to look and I'm sure a lot of people want to say "Okay, where should I look?"

It's important to keep in mind the type of jobs that are out there, the kind that are constantly looking to be filled. While the "dream jobs" might not be available like they used to, jobs are still jobs. I firmly believe anyone in Michigan with a college education who wants a job can find one. The data backs that assertion up- less than 2% of college educated people in Michigan are unemployed.   It's the low skilled, blue-collar workers that may have a difficultly finding the jobs that can best use their minimal skills.

Even so, certain industries, such as logistics, are still growing. Two weeks ago, Artisan Associates Inc. and National Logistics Management, two large logistics companies announced plans to merge by the end of the year. As a result of this merger, the newly formed company is expected to double in size in the near future.

I hate to say "I told you so," but despite what major media outlets are constantly reporting, not every job market in Michigan is suffering.  

Global Insight, and economic forecasting organization, predicts the trucking industry will grow nearly 3.4% annually for the next decade, by the end of which there will be a need for nearly 320,000 new drivers. That's a lot of new jobs. Sure, they won't all be in Michigan, but as this merger shows, the state will definitely see the benefits of this growing industry.