Economic Health

Washtenaw County’s Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) has released its annual report for 2025-26. WEMU’s Ana Longoria details.

A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks Michigan worst in the Midwest for overall child well-being. Colin Jackson has more.

An initiative is being rolled out from the federal to the local level that will aid Washtenaw County farmers and preserve their livelihoods. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

Washtenaw County’s economy is expected to continue to see measured growth over the next three years, even as risks persist. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert has this report.

The University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) gathers research that offers insight into the fiscal health of rural and urban communities. WEMU’s Caorline MacGregor talks to CLOSUP Director Stephanie Leiser about their annual Michigan Public Policy Survey, which has implications for Michigan’s local government leaders from 1,328 counties, cities, villages, and townships statewide.

Foundational support systems can go a long way in determining life outcomes. When there are systemic barriers, the task of growing a successful and happy life becomes more difficult. The Women’s Center of Southeast Michigan continues its work in offering systems to support the emotional and economic self-determination of women and their families. WEMU's David Fair spoke with executive director Hannah Reischl about challenges of achieving greater equity and equality.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Intimate partner violence will touch the lives in two out of every five women in America. That holds true here in Washtenaw County, as well. For decades now, the issue has been brought out in the open, yet it remains a public health crisis. WEMU's David Fair spoke with SafeHouse Center executive director, Christine Watson, about raising more awareness and activism.

Canadian wildfires have played havoc with air quality in Washtenaw County and the state of Michigan for the past few summers. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian is the chief medical executive for the state of Michigan. She joined WEMU's David Fair to look at the short and longer-term implications.

A respected University of Michigan economic think tank predicts an uptick in jobs in the coming year. We have more from Rick Pluta.

In 2003, an organization was founded with a mission of tackling the unmet needs of socially and economically vulnerable young women in Washtenaw County. Now, Girls Group is celebrating 20 years of empowering young women to achieve emotional and economic self-sufficiency by ensuring they graduate from high school and begin their college or career journeys. Sue Schooner is the founder and executive director of Girls Group and shared the organization's story with WEMU's David Fair.