Business Watch

Which comes first — job growth or population growth? Unfortunately, Michigan struggles with both.

The marijuana industry brought in $276 million last month and is projected to cross $3 billion in revenues for the first time this year. But some businesses continue to struggle from a glut of shops and relatively low prices.

Higher demand and lower supply means gas prices are on the rise. Michigan’s record prices are higher than the national average.

Shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway is continuing its long-term downturn, and changes in the region’s steel industry are largely responsible for the trend, according to a recent Congressional Research Service report.

A recent heatwave is blamed for the increase. Michigan prices are lower than the national average, however, and below historical averages when inflation is taken into account.

The massive road project is slated to finish in September, ending years of traffic snarls. Less visible is an underground tunnel boring effort that avoided catastrophe when a silt pocket trapped the project’s boring machine.

A new survey shows many would leave Michigan for jobs they consider more innovative. Young people say they aren’t sure auto companies can provide the work-life balance they crave.

The tentative contract, announced Tuesday, will provide $7.50 per hour in wage increases over five years. With the deal, the rest of the U.S. can relax in knowing that 24 million daily packages won’t face delay during a national strike.

The labor contract expires July 31, with the two sides set to resume talks next week. UPS handles a quarter of the nation’s packages, which is why businesses are scrambling to address likely supply chain disruptions.

A citizens group filed a lawsuit against the city, seeking to force a vote on rezoning. Their request to stop work on the property until a decision is made was declined. The judge has yet to rule on the requested referendum.

Vacationers are hedging away from Airbnb and VRBO rentals in hotspots like Austin, San Francisco and Cape Cod, but the Michigan market is still growing rapidly in vacation areas near Lake Michigan.

The pandemic-induced labor market squeeze has created new opportunities for formerly incarcerated Michiganders. Experts say businesses have become increasingly open to hiring applicants with criminal records.

A Supreme Court ruling backing a Christian website designer who didn’t want same-sex clients has created uncertainty in Michigan over the limits of business owners’ First Amendment rights.

A court ruling the week of July 17 will decide if work can continue on the eventual site of Ford Motor Co.’s $3.5 billion battery factory in Marshall. A citizens group is asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order on site work during litigation over whether they can force a public vote on the property’s zoning.

The utility, which is Michigan’s largest electricity provider, will get off coal by 2032, three years earlier than previously planned. That still lags two years behind the goals set forth in Gov. Whitmer’s climate plan.

Ann Arbor joins other U.S. cities testing the idea that recurring cash sets families up for financial success. A national nonprofit recently pitched a program for Detroit.

With another phase of cleanup starting at the former McLouth Steel plant in Downriver area near Detroit, the state is adding a new area of concern after a spring fish kill and contaminant plume.

Fans of the three Detroit teams could find themselves sorting through a mix of viewing platforms as Bally Sports Detroit and other regional sports networks struggle amid consumer migration to streaming services.

Gas prices have decreased dramatically, and roads and campgrounds are expected to be congested starting later this week.

Along the U.P. border, Michigan counties are losing people while their neighbors in Wisconsin are gaining. Local leaders say the Badger State’s investments in small businesses and infrastructure are paying off.