NHQI July 2024
Upjohn Institute New Hires Quality Index for July 2024 dips 0.1 percent in third monthly decline, plus annual Labor Day look at actual real wage growth
NHQI September 2024
Upjohn Institute New Hires Quality Index drops 0.1 percent in September, with recent decline driven by full-time hires; part-time hires see gains
NHQI October 2024
Upjohn Institute New Hires Quality Index drops another 0.1 percent in October, with Gen Xers feeling the brunt of the slowdown
NHQI November 2024
Upjohn Institute New Hires Quality Index is stagnant in November, with Black Americans losing much of their recent COVID recovery gains
Michigan Works! Southwest releases its 2024 Annual Report
December 12, 2024

The Center for Workforce Innovation and Solutions manages employment and training services for Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph counties under the Michigan Works! umbrella. Through collaborative partnerships and a comprehensive, intersectional approach, CWIS strives to develop and implement high quality services and systemic changes that result in positive impacts for both workers and employers.
Topics

Michigan Works! Southwest manages federal and state programs that prepare the workforce to meet the current and emerging needs of business and industry. Through fostering collaborative partnerships, its team is dedicated to continuous improvement and meaningful transformations in the people, businesses, and communities it serves.
The Employer Resource Network® collaborates with employers, non-profits, community colleges, and the public sector to provide individualized services aimed at improving employee retention and productivity.
Pulse collaborates with key partners to ensure resources are available for providing equitable access to early childhood development experiences, to create and improve learning environments, and to promote the healthy development of children. The foundational belief is that when children thrive, the entire community benefits.
Overseen by Michigan Works! Southwest, Neighborhood Employment Hubs provide comprehensive employment services to residents in marginalized communities in Battle Creek, Michigan.
NHQI December 2024
Upjohn Institute New Hires Quality Index again flat in December, and hiring volume ticks up in non-metros even as wage index there stalls
Evaluation
We provide program evaluation to assess and improve the impact of social interventions such as new treatment methods, service innovations, and other practices and initiatives. We seek to understand precisely why the changes occur by studying purpose and original objectives, what was predicted and achieved, how it was accomplished, the role of specific players, and factors affecting implementation.
Workforce and Talent Assessments
With our workforce development projects, we continue the legacy of Dr. Upjohn, who created a co-op farm during the Great Depressions where displaced workers could provide for their families. By understanding the wages and skills of workers, we craft workforce strategies to help a region or community grow its economy. Our work includes wage and benefit surveys, workforce education and skill gap analysis, migration, commuting pattern analysis, and more.
Regional Strategies and Industrial Clusters
Our focus is on examining the competitiveness and dynamics of industries and clusters, analyzing the resources available in a region that support businesses and how they contribute to job creation and economic growth. We also conduct in-depth studies of specific regions to understand their economic structure, workforce, physical infrastructure, and other resources.
NHQI January 2025
Upjohn Institute New Hires Quality Index slips 0.1 percent in January as the service sector shows more signs of weakness
NHQI February 2025
Upjohn Institute New Hires Quality Index again dips slightly, as hiring picture for highly educated workers turns increasingly gloomy
Community Assessment, Analysis, and Policy
We analyze local economic and cultural data to help communities develop policies and strategies for improving their economic and social environments. Drawing on research from successful models, we provide expertise in addressing community issues.
Housing Analysis and Planning
We create housing plans that provide current assessment data, supply and demand information, and strategies for a balanced community. We also offer collaboration opportunities and policy recommendations to address the existing gaps in the housing market, fostering workforce expansion and economic growth.
NHQI March 2025
Upjohn Institute New Hires Quality Index rises 0.2 percent in March 2025, but volume remains low as hiring from nonemployment dries up

Latest data for The Kalamazoo Promise released
April 28, 2025
The Policies for Place initiative at the Upjohn Institute brings together experts from around the country to study community-based strategies to create good jobs—and how to help people get and keep those good jobs.
Research Areas
NHQI April 2025
Upjohn Institute New Hires Quality Index rises 0.3 percent in April 2025 but hiring volume slips, with a sharp decline by foreign-born workers