(MPRN-Lansing) The Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton were both in Michigan last week to deliver speeches on their plans for the economy. But they both presented different pictures of the state of things here in Michigan, where the auto industry and manufacturing tanked during the Great Recession.
So, what’s the state of the recovery here in Michigan? The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Lansing bureau chief, Rick Pluta, asked an expert – Michigan State University economics professor Charlie Ballard.
Ballard says Michigan has gained back more than half of the jobs lost in the last decade, the unemployment rate has dropped, and other economic indicators have improved. But Ballard says Michigan still ranks in the bottom half of state's for income.
Asked about the political implications of the economy, Ballard says Republicans can highlight growth under Governor Rick Snyder's administration. But he says Democrats can point to President Barack Obama's actions to rescue the auto industry. Ballard says that was a key to helping Michigan's economy rebound.
