January 7, 2008 (LANSING, MICH.) — Recent survey data reveals 13 percent of small- to mid-sized Michigan businesses plan to hire new employees in the next six months, resulting in an estimated 260,000 positions that need to be filled. A significant portion of business owners believe they will have trouble filling these positions, not because of a shortage of applicants, but because of a shortage of qualified applicants.

The findings come from the semi-annual “Future Business Index” study, commissioned by Accident Fund Insurance Company of America and conducted by EPIC ▪ MRA in November 2007. A total of 608 Michigan business owners, operators, officers or managers were interviewed.

Specifically, of the survey respondents who said they have had difficulty filling full-time positions during the past year, 70 percent offered “not enough of the applicants were qualified for the positions” as the reason. These industries range from non-profits and health care to manufacturing. The top two industries expected to look for qualified candidates in the next six months are business and professional services.

Chris Holman, small business advocate for the state of Michigan, said, “After reviewing the statewide survey results, we are delighted that small businesses plan to hire more employees over the next six months. It’s nice to see some positive news that jobs are available in Michigan with the correct training and background.”

“A number of Accident Fund customers are small- to mid-sized businesses. It’s great to see our small-business sector prosper, especially during the tough economic climate in Michigan,” said Keith Adkins, vice president of Marketing at Accident Fund.

The study suggests that as many as 30,940 jobs in Michigan could go unfilled in the near future. This number, combined with the 80,000 jobs currently estimated to be unfilled, indicates Michigan’s high rate of unemployment has more to do with a lack necessary education and training among residents, than with a lack of employment opportunities.


Accident Fund’s Future Business Index is produced twice annually. Working in conjunction with EPIC ▪ MRA, 600 to 700 small- to mid-sized businesses across Michigan are asked about their business outlook for the next six months. The details are calculated and distributed throughout the State of Michigan. The next survey will occur in April 2008. The survey margin of error is ±4.0 percent.

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