Workforce
Shiawassee County has a large and productive workforce, and its access to both the I-69 Thumb region and the Detroit region afford it tens of thousands of additional workers who can commute into the county.
Workforce Size
Shiawassee County proper has a workforce of nearly 34,000. The seven-county I-69 International Trade Corridor region brings the workforce to about 400,000.
| Shiawassee County | I-69 Thumb Region1 | Detroit MSA2 | Michigan |
| 33,500 | 396,055 | 2,427,706 | 4,953,200 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2019
1Shiawassee County along with Lapeer, St. Clair, Genesee, Sanilac, Tuscola and Huron Counties, Michigan.
2Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Michigan MSA
Educational Attainment
Shiawassee County has high school graduation rates and 2-year college graduation rates that exceed the U.S. average. The State of Michigan also has a 100% participation rate in the SAT test, and average SAT test scores of 1003 compared to a U.S. average of 1059 in 2019, where the higher the score the better.
Visit the Education section for more information on local schools, colleges and universities.
| Shiawassee County | I-69 Thumb Region1 | Detroit MSA2 | Michigan | USA | |
| High School or Equivalent | 92.4% | 90.0% | 91.6% | 91.1% | 88.3% |
| 2-year College Graduates | 11.5% | 10.8% | 9.8% | 9.6% | 8.6% |
| 4-year College Graduates | 11.3% | 11.0% | 17.7% | 18.0% | 20.0% |
| Graduate Degrees | 5.8% | 5.8% | 12.2% | 11.5% | 12.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2019
1Shiawassee County along with Lapeer, St. Clair, Genesee, Sanilac, Tuscola and Huron Counties, Michigan.
2Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Michigan MSA
Average Wages
Shiawassee County has a weekly average wage of $816.00, 22% lower than the average wage for Detroit MSA and 32% lower than the national average.
| Shiawassee County | I/69 Thumb Region | Detroit MSA2 | Michigan | USA |
| $816.00 | $838.00 | $1,049.50 | $1,077.00 | $1,185.00 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2019
1Shiawassee County along with Lapeer, St. Clair, and Genesee Counties, Michigan.
2Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, Michigan MSA
Unionization
There has been one successful union election in Shiawassee County since 2011:
| Union Elections | ||||
| Year | Number of Elections | Union Wins | Union Losses | # Certifications / # Decertifications |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1/0 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| February, 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: National Labor Relations Board, LRI