This post is authored by Punita Thurman
For more than two decades, Michigan Future Inc. (MFI) has been calling on policymakers, business leaders, and civic institutions to center household income and shared prosperity as the true measures of the state’s economic success. Traditional metrics—like job creation, unemployment rates, or business attraction—while important, are not enough. If household incomes aren’t rising, Michigan isn’t succeeding.
That’s why it’s encouraging to see business leaders finally naming the crisis for what it is: an income crisis. This week, Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM) released its Michigan in a New Era plan, making income growth a top priority. Just yesterday, the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2025 State of Talent and Education report linked degree attainment directly to Michigan’s unacceptable ranking—40th in per capita income.
These organizations—partners of MFI—are more plainly and directly acknowledging what we’ve been saying for years: Michigan’s current trajectory is not acceptable. And they’re beginning to build shared accountability for policies that center rising income for all Michiganders as the goal of the state’s economic policies.
MFI has for years provided a steady drumbeat on this imperative, offering rigorous data analysis and clear policy guidance. For more than thirty years MFI has provided unbiased analysis on the Michigan economy – the jobs Michiganders work and what they pay. And for the past two decades – and with particular urgency in recent years – the organization has been sounding the alarm that Michigan households have been losing ground to the rest of the country. In 2020, MFI convened the Rising Income for All coalition to elevate income as a policy priority. In 2021, they spotlighted Michigan’s two-tier economy and the disconnect between wages, education, and opportunity. And in 2024, they re-released their foundational 2004 report, reaffirming that educational attainment and income growth are the cornerstones of a prosperous state. In light of that report, the Grow Michigan Together Council named rising income as one of its three key indicators.
In short, the message isn’t new. But it’s gaining traction now because the extent to which the state’s per-capita income has fallen relative to the rest of the nation can no longer be ignored.
Still, the message hasn’t reached everyone. Last summer, MFI polling revealed that most voters believed Michigan ranked 26th in per-capita income. We’re 40th. And if current trends continue, we’re on track to be 48th by 2050, ahead of only Alabama and Mississippi.
Once informed, 90% of respondents expressed concern and demanded action—across party lines, geographies, and age groups. 90% of Michiganders don’t want to live in a poor state. They want change and they want policy makers and decision-making influencers to act.
So, the work continues. Each of us—across sectors, communities, and spheres of influence—must commit to raise awareness and move to action, measured by real progress toward rising incomes. That means being honest about the realities of our labor market, the link between education and wages, and the urgent need for transformational change.
Michigan Future has laid the groundwork. Now it’s time for every policymaker, business leader, and civic partner to step up. Together, we can build an economy where growth is shared, opportunity is expanded, and every household has a path to prosperity.
Let’s make rising income for all the defining mission of Michigan’s next era.
Punita Thurman is an independent advisor and strategic ally to Michigan Future Inc. Punita has extensive experience in working across philanthropy, policy, and equitable education systems transformation. She is recognized for bridging across issues and connecting people and ideas across sectors and deeply committed to a more just world for all young people to thrive.
