"Visit Ann Arbor" by: www.aametrocars.com"
by Tina Reed | The Ann Arbor News
Tuesday May 05, 2009, 9:45 AM
Eliyahu Gurfinkel | The Ann Arbor NewsVisitors to a job fair wait in line to speak with representatives from various companies at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor Township in March.Ann Arbor has made another national city ranking list. But this time it's not for being the healthiest hometown or the top college sports town.
Forbes magazine has ranked the Ann Arbor region among the worst in the nation for finding a job.
According to an annual survey, Ann Arbor and its surrounding area rank fifth worst among mid-sized cities in job growth.
Worst medium cities
:1. Toledo, Ohio
2. Hickory-Lenoir-Morgantown, N.C.
3. Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Fla.
4. Dayton, Ohio
5. Ann Arbor
Worst large cities
1. Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn
2. Providence-Fall River-Warwick, R.I.
3. Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio.
4. Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, Calif.
5. Oaklnad-Fremont-Hayward, Calif.
Worst small cities
1. Jackson, Mich.
2. Saginaw-Saginaw Township-North
3. Flint
4. Battle Creek
5. Dalton, Ga.
It was among several Michigan cities ranking worst, including the Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn metropolitan statistical area, which ranked worst among large cities for job growth, and Jackson, which was rated worst among small cities.
According to the article, the study is based on job growth in statistical regions around the country as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The study used data from the bureau to look at job growth in the past year and how employment has changed since 1996.
No Michigan cities were ranked among the best for jobs.
There's no doubt the Ann Arbor area has been hit hard by job loss - particularly in the automotive manufacturing sector - over the past five years, University of Michigan economist Donald Grimes said.
But, he said, it appeared Forbes' methodology gave extra weight to the past five years of job data when predicting what will happen in the next five years. In the case of the Ann Arbor statistical region, job numbers have largely been so poor because of the area's losses in the automotive manufacturing sector. There aren't too many of those jobs left to lose in the future, Grimes said.
The Ann Arbor area also stands to rebound more quickly than other areas because of its highly educated workforce and the impact of the University of Michigan, he said.
Jesse Bernstein, president and chief executive officer for the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce, questioned how well the ranking could calculate the health of Ann Arbor's job market. For instance, Ann Arbor has a large population of self-employed - or contract-based workers - who wouldn't be counted by a survey like that of Forbes.
"Nothing is ever as good as you think, or as bad as you think," Bernstein said.
Ann Arbor is still in a much better position than many other Midwest cities to rebound because of its increasing science- and technology-based jobs, said Elizabeth Parkinson, spokeswoman for Ann Arbor economic development group Spark.
"All we can do is stick with our game plan of creating these jobs," Parkinson said.
To read Forbes story online, check out http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/27/worst-cities-jobs-opinions-columnists-employment-opportunities.html. Contact Tina Reed at 734-994-6843 or treed@annarbornews.com. Or follow her on Twitter @TreedinAA.
