Becoming a national leader for talent
TalentFirst uses these measures to track West Michigan progress towards becoming a top 20 region for talent in the nation.
TalentFirst uses these measures to track West Michigan progress towards becoming a top 20 region for talent in the nation.
The first section tracks five priority measures that correlate to the objectives of our working groups and reflect the vitality of our regional labor market. Each tile shows the latest measure as well as the target to be among the top 20% of regions nationwide.
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Data as of 2024
Goal to achieve top 20% of all regions nationally by 2026:
66.3%
Goal to achieve top 20% of all regions nationally by 2026:
69.3%
Goal to achieve top 20% of all regions nationally by 2026:
9.6%
Goal to achieve top 20% of all regions nationally by 2026:
36 days
Goal to achieve top 20% of all regions nationally by 2026:
79.0%
The second section shows 16 leading indicators of conditions that drive success for the priority measures. (For example, improving college readiness is a component of our priority to increase postsecondary education.) This provides useful insights about where we need to focus our efforts to catalyze improvements.
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Data as of 2024
TBD
Kindergarten Readiness
Definition: Percentage of non-institutionalized civilians within the Grand Rapids-Kentwood-Muskegon, MI CSA who are actively employed or seeking employment.
Current Ranking: 39th out of 175 CSAs nationally.
Goal Insight: Achieving a top 20% status among CSAs necessitates a participation rate of at least 66.3%, which would require an additional 11,500 individuals joining the West Michigan labor force, marking a 0.6% increase.
Definition: Proportion of adults aged 25 and over in the Grand Rapids-Kentwood-Muskegon, MI CSA who have obtained education beyond high school.
Current Ranking: 61st out of 175 CSAs nationally.
Goal Insight: Reaching a top 20% standing among CSAs requires an attainment rate of 69.3% or higher. This would entail an increase of 3.0%, or 56,600 additional adults in West Michigan obtaining postsecondary credentials.
Definition: Disparity in labor force participation, unemployment rates, and per capita income between White and Black residents within the Grand Rapids-Kentwood-Muskegon, MI CSA.
Current Ranking: 113th out of 175 CSAs nationally.
Goal Insight: To rank within the top 20% of CSAs, the average racial/ethnic gap should be 9.6% or lower. Achieving this goal involves reducing the current gap by 4.6%, which could be accomplished by adding 300 individuals to the labor force, securing employment for an additional 400 residents, and/or increasing per capita income by $5,235 in West Michigan.
Advocacy Focus: TalentFirst is championing the adoption of the Kindergarten Entry Observation (KEO) to assess readiness.
WM (West Michigan): To be determined (TBD)
Statewide: To be determined (TBD)
Note: Detailed metrics will be updated upon the implementation and subsequent data collection through the KEO initiative.TalentFirst advocates the state of Michigan implement a universal measure of kindergarten readiness like M-STEP to know the level of readiness of children when they start school, and the impact of early childhood interventions like GSRP at a local level.
Definition: The proportion of K-12 students who are present for less than 10% of school days.
WM (West Michigan) Rate: 74.5% of students not chronically absent for the 2022-23 academic year.
Statewide Rate: 69.2% of students not chronically absent for the 2022-23 academic year.
Insight: With 74.5% of K-12 students in West Michigan not chronically absent compared to 69.2% statewide, the region shows a relatively better engagement in schooling, indicating effective attendance policies or community support systems.
Definition: The percentage of 3rd-grade students achieving a proficient or advanced score in English Language Arts (ELA) on the M-STEP assessment.
WM (West Michigan) Performance: 47.1% scored proficient/advanced during the 2022-23 academic year.
Statewide Performance: 40.9% scored proficient/advanced during the 2022-23 academic year.
Insight: West Michigan’s 3rd graders outperform the statewide average in reading proficiency (47.1% vs. 40.9%), highlighting the effectiveness of early literacy programs in the region.
Definition: The percentage of 11th graders who reached or surpassed the benchmarks for college readiness on the SAT examination.
WM (West Michigan) Performance: 30.4% met/exceeded benchmarks in the 2022-23 academic year.
Statewide Performance: 28.2% met/exceeded benchmarks in the 2022-23 academic year.
Insight: The close percentages in college readiness benchmarks met by 11th graders in West Michigan (30.4%) and statewide (28.2%) suggest a general consistency in preparatory education quality across the state.
Definition: The proportion of 9th graders who completed high school within a standard four-year period.
WM (West Michigan) Rate: 83.0% graduated on time in the 2022-23 academic year.
Statewide Rate: 81.8% graduated on time in the 2022-23 academic year.
Insight: With an 83.0% graduation rate in West Michigan, slightly above the statewide rate of 81.8%, the area demonstrates strong secondary educational outcomes.
Definition: The share of the adult population (age 25 and older) that has not obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent.
WM (West Michigan) Rate: 8.0% of adults lacked a high school diploma in 2022.
Statewide Rate: 8.2% of adults were without a high school diploma in 2022.
Nationwide Rate: 10.4% of the adult population did not have a high school diploma in 2022.
Insight: The nearly identical percentages of adults without a high school diploma in West Michigan (8.0%) and statewide (8.2%) indicate a common educational challenge.
Definition: The percentage of students who register for postsecondary education or training within six months after graduating from high school.
WM (West Michigan) Rate: 51.8% enrolled post high school in the 2022-23 academic year.
Statewide Rate: 52.8% enrolled post high school in the 2022-23 academic year.
Insight: The nearly equivalent postsecondary enrollment rates in West Michigan (51.8%) and statewide (52.8%) indicate a uniform transition from high school to higher education across the state.
Definition: The proportion of students who complete an Associate’s Degree within 150% of the expected time frame.
WM (West Michigan) Rate: 21.9% graduated within the extended timeframe in 2022.
Statewide Rate: 23.9% achieved graduation in 2022.
Nationwide Rate: 35.5% reached graduation in 2022.
Insight: The lower graduation rates for Associate’s degrees in West Michigan (21.9%) and statewide (23.9%) compared to the national average (35.5%) point to potential challenges in community college systems.
Definition: The percentage of students who complete their program at a 4-year postsecondary institution within 150% of the standard time (i.e., within 6 years for a Bachelor’s degree).
WM (West Michigan) Rate: 56.5% graduated within this timeframe in 2022.
Statewide Rate: 62.4% achieved graduation in 2022.
Nationwide Rate: 61.2% reached this milestone in 2022.
Insight: West Michigan’s Bachelor’s degree graduation rate (56.5%) trails the statewide average (62.4%), indicating regional disparities in four-year college outcomes.
Definition: The percentage of postsecondary students who re-enroll for their second year immediately following their first year.
WM (West Michigan) Rate: 84.7% continued to the second year in the 2022-23 academic year.
Statewide Rate: 86.6% continued to the second year in the 2022-23 academic year.
Insight: The retention rate from the first to the second year in postsecondary education is slightly lower in West Michigan (84.7%) compared to statewide (86.6%), suggesting potential areas for support and intervention.
Definition: The proportion of households with income above the United Way’s ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Survival Budget Threshold, indicating financial stability.
WM (West Michigan) Performance: 65.2% of households were above the threshold, according to 2021 data reported in 2023.
Statewide Performance: 61.0% of households exceeded the threshold, based on 2021 data reported in 2023.
Insight: The higher percentage of households in West Michigan (65.2%) above the ALICE threshold compared to statewide (61.0%) suggests a relatively healthier economic environment in the region.
Definition: The net change in population per 1,000 residents due to migration, calculated as the difference between the number of incoming and outgoing individuals in a region.
WM (West Michigan) Rate: +5.00 per 1,000 residents in 2020, indicating a positive inflow.
Statewide Rate: -1.47 per 1,000 residents in 2021, indicating a net outflow.
Nationwide Rate: +2.86 per 1,000 residents in 2020, showing a positive inflow.
Insight: The positive net migration rate in West Michigan (5.00) versus the negative statewide rate (-1.47) highlights the region’s attractiveness or economic opportunities drawing people to move there.
Note: The data years vary due to availability, with no recent county-level or consistent statewide data for 2020.
Definition: The average income earned per person in a given area, calculated by dividing the total personal income by the population.
WM (West Michigan) Income: $57,461 in 2022.
Statewide Income: $57,038 in 2022.
Nationwide Income: $65,476 in 2022.
Insight: Similar per capita incomes in West Michigan ($57,461) and statewide ($57,038) with both trailing the national average ($65,476) reflect broader economic patterns affecting the region.
Definition: The disparity in per capita income between White and Black residents, reflecting differences in average individual earnings.
WM (West Michigan) Gap: 32.2% in 2022, indicating lower average income for Black residents compared to White residents.
Statewide Gap: 39.8% in 2022, showing a larger income disparity at the state level.
Nationwide Gap: 40.1% in 2022, highlighting a significant income gap at the national level.
Insight: The substantial gap in per capita income between White and Black residents in West Michigan (32.2%) indicates persistent racial economic disparities, although slightly less than the statewide (39.8%) and national (40.1%) levels.
Definition: The difference in unemployment rates between White and Black residents, highlighting disparities in joblessness.
WM (West Michigan) Gap: 7.5% in 2022, indicating a higher unemployment rate among Black residents compared to White residents.
Statewide Gap: 7.9% in 2022, showing a similar trend of higher unemployment rates among Black residents.
Nationwide Gap: 2.9% in 2022, a smaller disparity compared to regional figures.
Insight: The higher unemployment rate gap between White and Black residents in West Michigan (7.5%) compared to statewide (7.9%) and especially nationwide (2.9%) signals significant racial inequalities in employment.
Definition: The disparity in labor force participation rates between White and Black residents.
WM (West Michigan) Gap: 3.2% in 2022, indicating a higher participation rate among White residents.
Statewide Gap: 1.7% in 2022, reflecting a smaller difference in participation rates.
Nationwide Gap: 1.7% in 2022, consistent with the statewide disparity.
Insight: The gap in labor force participation rates between White and Black residents in West Michigan (3.2%) being higher than the statewide (1.7%) and national (1.7%) averages points to more pronounced racial disparities in the region’s labor market.