The latest economic outlook report for west Michigan from the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research shows the region’s economy was mostly flat in the second quarter. Upjohn Regional Analyst Brian Pittelko tells WSJM News Berrien County saw some jobs lost in the period.
“The area lost about 450 jobs during the second quarter,” Pittelko said. “The biggest losses were in trade, transportation, and utilities, which includes wholesale trade and resale trade, but education and health services lost a few jobs as well as professional business services,” Pittelko said. “The leisure and hospitality sector, which has generally done well, improved over the quarter, and also the manufacturing sector.”
Pittelko tells us Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo were up slightly in the second quarter. Looking ahead, he predicts the region to see a small amount of job growth in the third.
