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LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s economy is constantly changing, and while some industries like manufacturing remain constant, there are emerging fields.
2025 data showed there’s more than 250,000 openings to choose from in Michigan, but some careers have more openings than others.
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The Michigan Center for Data and Analytics released its bi-annual “Hot 50” jobs outlook, highlighting what’s expected to be in the highest demand through 2034.
“These top 50 in Michigan have a good mixture of wage projected growth and projected openings,” Evan Linskey, a research manager at the center, said. “So really a lot of opportunities to sort of yourself into a high-wage, high-demand career in the future.”
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(Michigan Center for Data and Analytics)
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The two jobs with the highest projected openings are truck drivers and registered nurses, each with over 6,500 projected annual openings, but Linskey said there’s a wide range of occupations included in the list.
“It’s not like 50 healthcare occupations, healthcare and trades do make up a sizable portion of the list, but there’s engineering opportunities, there’s social service opportunities, there’s construction, utilities, a wide variety of occupations, and that sort of economic diversity, I think is a strength of Michigan,” he said.
Those looking to be work in construction, automotive repair, human resources, marketing or software development also likely to have plenty to choose from.
Linskey noted that there are trends, however.
“From our last list, about 72% of the list carried over, so 36 occupations,” he said. “A few dropped off, and then they become occupation like 51 or so, and that’s fine, but a few of the newer ads happen to lean a little bit more heavily into the construction trades, those apprenticeship occupations, and then a little more into health care as well.”
The list spans different education and pay levels, but Linskey said those who are educated tend to have more options.
“It could be an electrician apprenticeship, it couldn’t be an associate degree, master’s, whatever else, but really that those folks who are achieving a post post secondary credential are seeing the most positive economic outcomes,” he said.
As for what the report means for Michigan’s economy, the rise in construction and health care jobs could mean more things are being built but also that there’s an aging population.
“Some positive, some negatives, I suppose, for the workforce as far as that goes,” Linskey said. “But that’s always a rapidly changing story. Michigan most recently actually added folks domestically in migration for one of the first times in a number of years.”
And just because the list doesn’t include a job, doesn’t mean that it’s on the decline, Linskey said. Carpenters just missed the cut, though they are still in demand.
Overall, Linskey believes the report can be helpful to lawmakers or even guidance counselors as they shape Michigan’s workforce.
He encourages those interested in entering the “hot” jobs to look into training programs offered by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity or their local Michigan Works! Office.
