By Janet Koch, Community Development
One thing we’re taught in kindergarten—in addition to “Don’t run with scissors!”—is how to work and play well with others. This lesson is just as relevant now as it was then, and there are indications it is becoming even more integral to our local economy.
How do we know this? Through data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and from employers through unemployment insurance wage records, and provided to the US Census Bureau. Take a look at the highlighted parts of the table. In NLEA’s service area of Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Emmet Counties, the percentage of employees driving 25 miles and greater to work increased from 18.9% in 2002 to 27.8% in 2015 (the most recent data).
Why is this important? For most people in our region, driving 25 or more miles means you’re driving into a different county. And if you’re driving more than 50 miles, it’s a near certainty. The county “walls” in our region seem to be breaking down in a significant way.
So, again, why is this important? Lots of reasons! Because more time spent driving means increased costs for employees and increased wear and tear on our roadways. Plus, too much time spent driving to work (especially in winter) could incline an employee to look for a job closer to home. Also, a reason for the increase in driving distance could be to find affordable housing. In addition, an increased driving distance could complicate a parent’s child care situation. But most of all, this is important because recognizing the nature of our economy allows us to develop strategies to improve it.
If you’d like to go down the rabbit hole of data, all this information (and much, much more!) can be found at OnTheMap, a new favorite webpage at NLEA. If you would like to see the data for your own county but, sadly, don’t have time for the fun of data extraction, contact Janet Koch at janet@northernlakes.net or 231-582-6482.
