Detroit Free Press (04/02/12) Katherine Yung; John
Gallagher

The demand for technical professionals and engineers in Michigan
has increased, but a shortage of highly skilled workers is
threatening to stall newfound growth for business and the state
economy, even as millions across the country are looking for
work. Attracting professionals back to Michigan is one of the
strategies companies and the state now pursue to fill open
positions. The Michigan Economic Development Corp. has formed
teams for five areas: manufacturing; health care; alternative
energy and utilities; information technology and media; and
agriculture.

In manufacturing alone, U.S. employers have not been able to fill
600,000 skilled positions, according to a late summer survey of
the manufacturing industry from Deloitte and the Manufacturing
Institute. The situation is putting upward pressure on salaries
for many technical workers. For engineers, “the pay levels
are beginning to increase across the board in all states,
including Michigan,” says Todd Soulier, talent acquisition
manager for EASi, a Detroit-based engineering staffing firm.