Population decline is not a new problem for Michigan, but the numbers keep getting worse, especially for Metro Detroit.

There’s no denying Michigan’s importance in national politics, but due to the lost Congressional seat, there are some things at stake for how much Michigan may matter in the next big election.

A new study on the Michigan economy shows that while jobs are available, they do not pay enough to make ends meet, and the coronavirus pandemic is making it worse. Michigan Future Founder Lou Glazer puts a good paying job at $20 an hour and he cites research claiming 60% of Michigan jobs pay less than that. “At the point where construction companies don’t have enough carpenters, you would think the wages for carpenters would go up,” he said. “They’re more likely to lose their jobs and then if they lose the job, they’re less likely that job will come back anytime soon,” he said. At the Detroit Economic Club, University of Michigan economist Gabriel Erlich believes people are going to see a two-tiered COVID recession and recovery.