Advice

WSI Named a 2026 Network Impact Award Winner by Staffing Referrals

Recognition honors WSI’s Best in Class performance in Light Industrial staffing, driven by the strength of its referral network KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Workforce Strategies,...

candidate sits foregraound with a big iced cofee on the table while factory manager reviews his resume in background soft focus.

Job Interview Rules Have Changed: Are You Out Of Touch?

Old interview rules are fading. Employers care less about your coffee cup and more about preparation, reliability, and communication.

Top-down view of an industrial conveyor belt carrying ten manila job folders, four stamped “QUALIFIED” in red, with a red ink pad and wooden stamp beside the belt.

Is West Michigan Running Out of Qualified Workers? The New Data Says Yes.

West Michigan now produces four credentialed graduates per ten openings. Here is what the data means for manufacturers.

production associate relaxing in the recliner with his smartphone and chips while the vertical bagging machine continuously operates, resulting in the specified cascade of chip bags overflowing onto the floor and surrounding him

Is Michigan Actually the Laziest State AGAIN? Based On the Criteria, Yes.

Michigan ranked last for hard work again. The metric that did it measures scheduling volatility, not effort. Employers should notice.

An elevated, wide-angle photograph taken from a high vantage point looks down onto a modern manufacturing factory floor, where a diverse group of seven people are gathered in a circle around a whiteboard for a meeting. In the center, a woman with dark, short-hair wearing a plaid shirt and jeans points to a whiteboard that has "hazard Board" and a simple diagram on it. Facing her are six other people: two other women and four men of varying ethnicities. Most of the attendees are holding papers and listening attentively. One woman on the right has her hand raised. They are all wearing casual but professional work clothes, such as jackets, hoodies, and polo shirts. The concrete floor of the factory is marked with yellow lines. In the background are various pieces of industrial machinery, including large grey CNC machines, conveyor belts, and open-front shelves with blue storage bins on the right side. A metal storage rack with tools is also visible. The large, open industrial space is brightly lit.

21 Michigan Worker Deaths So Far in 2026: The Safety Rules Employers Can’t Ignore

MIOSHA reports 21 Michigan workplace deaths in 2026. Employers running flexible labor face a second, quieter risk: unverified workers.

A photojournalistic, over-the-shoulder shot of a male production associate sitting at a worn wooden table in an industrial break room. He holds a smartphone showing a generic mobile banking app with an overdraft balance of -$133.00 in red text. In the soft-focus foreground lie folded safety glasses, a lunch container, and a coffee cup, with metal lockers and a plant floor visible in the background.

Can You Make $15.50 an Hour Last a Week?

Forty percent of Michigan households cannot afford basics despite working. The 2026 ALICE data explains why wage bands need rebuilding.

A medium-wide, eye-level shot inside a clean manufacturing facility, viewed through a clear glass partition. In the center, a male executive in a light blue dress shirt and grey slacks stands on a low platform, shaking hands with a young woman in dark blue industrial work clothes while presenting her with a framed certificate. They are flanked by a diverse group of coworkers in shop and business-casual uniforms who are smiling and applauding. The background features bright, even factory lighting, tidy workbenches, and large industrial machinery.

Michigan Laid $6 million on the table. Why will most manufacturers not pick it up?

Michigan just handed out $6M more in Going PRO training grants. Most eligible manufacturers still aren't applying. Here's why that's a mistake.