February 17, 2026
Battle Creek has attracted a wide range of employers, but a new report from the Upjohn Institute finds that 75% of people working in the city live outside its boundaries. The report notes that strategic, targeted job training programs can improve alignment between local talent and regional employer needs, expanding access to quality, well-paying jobs for Battle Creek residents and strengthening the regional workforce overall.
The study’s authors say strengthening residents’ job skills would raise incomes, reduce poverty, and decrease reliance on public assistance, while also expanding the city’s tax base. Those gains would increase capacity for reinvestment in neighborhoods, services, and long-term community priorities.
Recommendations include expanding targeted training programs through Kellogg Community College, Connect Battle Creek, and Michigan Works! Southwest; increasing child care capacity; improving transit access; and boosting the availability of affordable housing.
The report was conducted by Upjohn Regional with assistance from Michigan Works! Southwest and Pulse at the Upjohn Institute, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
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