GLIN==> U-Michigan news release: More than 1.5 million jobs and $62 billion in wages directly tied to Great Lakes

Feb. 24, 2011
Contact: Jim Erickson, (734) 647-1842, ericksn at umich.edu 
<mailto:ericksn at umich.edu>

_EDITORS_: The two-page report is available at: 
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu

*U-M study: More than 1.5 million jobs and $62 billion in wages directly 
tied to Great Lakes*

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---More than 1.5 million U.S. jobs are directly 
connected to the Great Lakes, generating $62 billion in wages annually, 
according to a new analysis by Michigan Sea Grant at the University of 
Michigan.

The analysis, released today, is based on 2009 employment data from the 
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and represents a conservative estimate 
of direct employment related to the Great Lakes in several industries, 
according to the authors, Michigan Sea Grant's assistant director, 
Jennifer Read, and research specialist Lynn Vaccaro.

"Many people don't realize how large an impact the Great Lakes have 
across many large sectors of this region's economy," Read said. "The 
total number of jobs and the percentage of jobs by industry illustrate 
just how critical the Great Lakes are to the region. For example, there 
are more than 525,000 Great Lakes-related jobs in Michigan alone."

A collaborative effort of U-M and Michigan State University, Michigan 
Sea Grant is part of the NOAA-National Sea Grant network of more than 30 
university-based programs.

The two-page economic analysis updates a more extensive Michigan Sea 
Grant report issued in 2009. That report focused on Michigan's economic 
ties to the lakes. The update provides figures for all eight states that 
border the Great Lakes.

The new report looks at the number of jobs connected to the Great Lakes 
by state and by industry. According to the report, Michigan has the 
highest number of jobs that depend on the lakes (525,886), followed by 
Illinois (380,786), Ohio (178,621), Wisconsin (173,969), New York 
(157,547), Indiana (54,397), Pennsylvania (25,479) and Minnesota (11,877).

Manufacturing was responsible for 66 percent of the Great Lakes-linked 
jobs, followed by tourism and recreation (14 percent), shipping (8 
percent), agriculture (8 percent), science and engineering (2 percent), 
utilities (1 percent) and mining (1 percent).

Great Lakes vessels transport an average of 163 million tons of cargo 
each year. Lake vessels can ship goods three times more efficiently than 
rail and 10 times more efficiently than trucks.

This transportation system sustains manufacturing and steel production, 
while the clean, abundant Great Lakes waters attract chemical and 
pharmaceutical companies to the region.

Historically, access to the lakes resulted in a concentration of 
technical skill, transportation and manufacturing infrastructure. In the 
coming decades, growth will be less linked to traditional manufacturing 
and more focused on quality of life and quality of the region's natural 
resources.

"The quality of our lives in Michigan, and the region, is largely 
defined by the Great Lakes. They provide us sustenance, livelihoods, 
recreation and a sense of place," said Jim Diana, director of Michigan 
Sea Grant and a professor at the U-M School of Natural Resources and 
Environment.

"Unless we continue to protect them and do even more to restore them, we 
will lose the ability to attract and retain new businesses and talented 
workers," Diana said. "Restoration of the lakes is crucial to our future."

Great Lakes beaches, resort communities and natural areas support a 
vibrant recreation and tourism industry and enhance the quality of life 
for residents. More than 4 million recreational vessels are registered 
in the region, and people spend nearly $16 billion annually on boating 
trips and equipment.

Many take advantage of the region's Great Lakes-dependent natural 
resources, including more than 9.2 million anglers, 4.6 million hunters 
and 23.2 million bird watchers each year.

The calculations in the Michigan Sea Grant economic summary are based on 
the most recent annual estimates for county employment from the U.S. 
Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages and 
its Occupational Employment Statistics program.

Michigan Sea Grant helps foster economic growth and protects Michigan's 
coastal/Great Lakes resources through education, research and outreach. 
Support for the production of the economic report was provided through 
the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute at the University of 
Michigan.

For more information, visit: http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu 
<http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/>

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[lakesecon]







-- 
Jim Erickson
News Service
University of Michigan
412 Maynard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1399
Direct: 734-647-1842
Main: 734-764-7260
Fax: 734-764-7084
Office web: http://www.umich.edu/news

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