Twice a year, we ask the people building northern Michigan’s economy a simple question: what’s working, and what’s holding you back? Our Fall 2026 Economic Pulse Report brings together answers from business leaders and local officials across Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Emmet counties, along with the latest regional economic data.
This fall, the message came through loud and clear. Our businesses are ready to grow. What they need most is a place for workers to live, the workers themselves, and the space to expand.
Housing and staffing top the list
Attainable housing and staffing were each named by 79% of business leaders as barriers to growth. That’s a sharp jump from the spring, when 56% named housing and 67% named staffing.
Those barriers come with a real cost. Employers facing staffing shortages told us they could hire 272 more people and bring in an additional $107.8 million in revenue over the next two years if they were fully staffed. That’s opportunity our region is leaving on the table.
Local leaders see it too
The concern isn’t limited to the private sector. Local government leaders named workforce housing as their top priority, with 61% saying it’s the type of development they most want to see in their communities. That’s up from 50% in the spring.
Making room for manufacturing
The report also shines a light on a less visible challenge: space. Nearly half of the businesses we surveyed (46%) plan to expand in the region within the next four years. Yet nearly all the industrial park land across our four counties is already occupied.
To help close that gap, NLEA secured a $60,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to conduct a regional manufacturing site readiness study. The study will give our communities a data-driven roadmap for preparing sites and keeping manufacturers growing right here at home.
“Our employers are telling us what is standing in the way of growth: retaining and attracting talent, housing for the workforce, and a clear pathway for businesses to physically expand,” said Payton Heins, President and CEO of NLEA. “This report gives our communities the data to act, and the manufacturing study is a concrete step toward solving those needs.”
A record crowd at Regional Economic Outlook
We first shared the Fall 2026 Economic Pulse Report on Friday with attendees of our Regional Economic Outlook event. More than 110 people joined us to hear from nationally renowned economists and regional business leaders, making it our largest Regional Economic Outlook yet. Thank you to everyone who came out and took part in the conversation.
Read the full report
The full Fall 2026 Economic Pulse Report is available at thenlea.com/reports. Inside, you’ll find more on business sentiment, local government priorities, county-level employment and building permit data, and recent projects NLEA has helped move forward.
A big thank you to Burdco, Inc. and ITC Holdings Corp. for making this report possible.
Have thoughts on what you’re seeing in the data, or want to talk about how NLEA can support your business or community? We’d love to hear from you at info@thenlea.com or 231-582-6482.
