Only 53 percent of Detroit working-age adults had a job in 2014

Detroit's Renaissance Center

As for the "Detroit is coming back" meme, does anyone serious think the numbers are much better for 2016.

President Obama will be in Detroit Wednesday for the North American International Auto Show and while in the Motor City the president will assess the progress since it emerged from bankruptcy two years ago.

From the Detroit News:

Few Detroiters work in the city and, overall, only 53 percent of working-age residents of the city had any type of job in 2014, according to a new workforce study released Tuesday.

"Detroit's Untapped Talent: Jobs and On-Ramps Needed" is the first of a two-part report about the state of Detroit’s labor force and job market. It is intended to help the city and the private sector find a way to overcome the challenges of Detroit’s labor market.

The study was initiated by JPMorgan Chase’s $100 million commitment to the city's economic recovery. It was done in partnership with the nonprofit Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, which partners with government, business, and community leaders to connect workers with jobs.

Among the study's findings:

Not enough jobs in Detroit: Few Detroiters work in the city because there are not enough suitable jobs. Only about 26 percent of jobs in Detroit are held by people who live in the city. Nearly 2 in 3, or 64 percent, of Detroit workers commute to the suburbs. A large number of those who work in the suburbs are in the lowest wage bracket. That's because there are very few entry-level job opportunities in the city limits, the study found.

Detroit sticks it to its residents with a 2.4 percent municipal income tax and businesses face a corporate income tax. While my guess is that few entry-level workers get angry over the income tax, higher-paid managers probably do. Or the other hand Detroiters who work outside of the city are supposed to pay their municipal income tax but because--at least for now--hardly any employers withhold funds for Detroit, reverse computers keep that money in their pockets.

From my post at Da Tech Guy:

I walked its streets--the tragedy of Detroit.