Business Watch

A few companies issued general statements opposing voter suppression. But as Republicans press for voter ID requirements and other changes, it may be harder for the business community to stay on the sideline.

Opening a restaurant during the pandemic may sound counter-intuitive when so many have closed. But today’s new operators say they’re on the cusp of culinary change, and adapting business strategies based on what they’ve learned from COVID.

Travel may set a record this year in Michigan, and empty rooms may be scarce in hotspots like Traverse City. But many hotels are struggling to stay afloat because of huge cuts to business trips.

Rich Sheridan, pioneer of ‘extreme teams’ at Menlo Innovations, on the challenge of keeping colleagues together when a pandemic was pulling everyone apart.

A year after some feared collapse, Michigan’s economy is weathering the storm but warning signs remain. Jobs in the hospitality industry, exemplified here by Mackinac Island, are down. Here are more than two dozen metics you need to know to understand the recovery, from average income and housing prices to debt and productivity.

The pandemic put more challenges onto women, who had to work, care for children and deal with other aspects of the virus. Now the shortage in the labor force is causing more workplaces to consider how to woo them back.

Add $10,000 to the list price or you’re not going to get the home, one buyer said she learned the hard way. Home listings are down by more than half this year, forcing prospective buyers to bid fast and pay more, way more.

Empty parking lots are deceiving: Most businesses are still paying for their office leases and there isn’t a glut of space. But commercial brokers around the state say they don’t know if that will change, or when.

After weeks of mostly positive COVID trends, the governor allows bars, restaurants and retail stores to open at 50 percent capacity and eases limits on casinos and exercise facilities. Some worry the limits last too long.

Town managers say the businesses are poised to boost strained budgets. And school and law enforcement officials contend there is little evidence to date the marijuana economy is bringing more crime or drug abuse to main street.

In a Monday letter, chambers of commerce statewide urge the governor to allow long-suffering restaurants to ‘open as soon as we can in ways that are safe.’

Mark Burton leaves the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for dual roles at Honigman. The departure adds to the list of vacancies in the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

The business group isn’t saying if the former House speaker got a severance after quitting, but it is taking stock of the controversy his hiring engendered. ‘It’s abundantly clear that the search process fell below standards.’

As Republican Speaker of the House, Chatfield rose to political prominence through his opposition to gay marriage. But after backlash to his hire as CEO of an economic development group, Chatfield said he’ll support the group’s endorsement of adding LGBT protections to state law.

Jobless claims during the pandemic cost the state billions and put pressure on business to keep the fund solvent. But there’s hope that federal aid will fund the relief instead of business owners.

Jobs are booming in tiny Newaygo in west Michigan, but housing hasn’t followed. So builders and city leaders got creative to put less expensive homes on the market — and other cities may follow.

What happens when you tell jobless workers to log in on Monday? They log in. Up to 340,000 login attempts per hour set a new record, crashing the state’s system as workers tried to reset benefits that expired in December.

The state’s computer system Monday was unresponsive for many workers seeking access to the unemployment benefits system. It’s the latest in a series of technology failures impacting workers put out of work by COVID.

Michiganders filled northern Ohio restaurants over the past two months while Michigan was one of the last states to allow restaurants to reopen with some indoor dining. But other states that opened sooner still saw businesses struggle under capacity restrictions and continued fears of virus transmission.

Even as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced limited reopening for the state’s battered bar and restaurant industry starting Feb. 1, she warned that indoor dining will last only so long as COVID remains under control.