Michiganders Worse Off Under Gretchen Whitmer

Lansing, MI  – A new report from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) shows that Michiganders are continuing to struggle to pay their bills under Governor Gretchen Whitmer. 

When Gretchen Whitmer took office in 2019, she created the Michigan Poverty Task Force (PTF) in response to data that showed 38% of Michiganders at or below the ALICE threshold. In spite of this task force, that number has only increased, with the latest figures putting 41% of Michiganders at or below the ALICE poverty level – even higher than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALICE, or “asset limited, income constrained, employed,” refers to a series of reports released by United Way that estimate how much a household needs to spend on basic necessities and compares it to reported income. 

Sadly, these new numbers coincide with Michigan’s continued fall in income per person rankings over the course of Whitmer’s administration. Last year, the state fell to 40th in per-person income, its lowest ranking ever. 

“When, for nearly eight years, the only economic development idea coming from Gretchen Whitmer’s administration has been to give corporations billions of taxpayer dollars, we shouldn’t be surprised that Michigan is struggling to keep up,” said Gabe Butzke, a spokesperson for Michigan Forward Network. “Costs are going up, jobs are scarce, and Michiganders are paying the price for the governor’s agenda.”