The renewable fuels industry will support an estimated 22,794 jobs in Michigan this year, generating about $4.2 billion of total economic output annually, according to a report released today by the Washington, D.C. – based Fuels America coalition.
“As an example, renewable energy has created a strong local market place for corn in Michigan,” said Larry Ward, vice president of development at POET, a bio-refining company in South Dakota. “It has created a strong employment rate for the agricultural community.”
According to the study, the sector — which includes conventional and cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and advanced biofuels and their suppliers — generates $1.1 billion in wages in Michigan, contributing $322.3 million in federal and state taxes each year.
On a national level, there are 845 renewable fuel facilities, supporting an estimated 852,056 jobs this year and generating $184.5 billion of total economic output.
To read the full report click here.
IN OTHER EMPLOYMENT NEWS, Michigan’s manufacturers have added 13,084 jobs since 2013, up 2 percent from the year before, says the 2014 Michigan Manufacturers’ Directory.
“Manufacturers in Michigan are making large strides, particularly in the all-important auto sector, and the high-tech manufacturing hub planned for the state should boost its reputation as a center for innovation,” said Tom Dubin, president of Manufacturers’ News Inc., which publishes the directory.
Dubin says employment within the sector is expected to keep rising with Ford announcing plans to expand six plants in southeast Michigan and General Motors’s $450 million investment in two Michigan factories.
