Report: Total Employment of Japanese Companies in Michigan Grows 20 Percent

Based on a new report from the Consulate-General of Japan in Detroit, there are 503 Michigan-based Japanese facilities that provide a total of 39,803 jobs. Total employment at the facilities has increased 20 percent since 2011.
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chart showing geographic distribution of Japanese companies, population in southeast Michigan
There are 503 Michigan-based Japanese facilities that provide a total of 39,803 jobs, according to the Consulate-General of Japan in Detroit. // Image courtesy of the the Consulate-General of Japan in Detroit

Based on a new report from the Consulate-General of Japan in Detroit, there are 503 Michigan-based Japanese facilities that provide a total of 39,803 jobs. Total employment at the facilities has increased 20 percent since 2011.

“As consul general, I am very proud to see the increase in employment at Japanese business facilities over the past eight years, along with these companies’ commitment to the state of Michigan,” says Nakagawa Tsutomu, consul general. “The economic and bilateral ties between Michigan and Japan remain strong, and I am hopeful that Japanese investment in the Great Lakes State will continue to grow.”

The number of business facilities has increased by 5 percent since 2011, growing from 480 to today’s 503. In 2011, there were 33,190 people employed at these facilities.

The majority of the facilities are located in southeast Michigan and are primarily research and development, engineering, sales, and service operations.

Novi has the most Japanese facilities with 102. They employ 2,582 people. Battle Creek’s Japanese facilities employ the most people – 6,473 – at 21 facilities. Farmington Hills has 3,692 people working at 45 Japanese facilities. In the region, Auburn Hills has the fewest facilities – 15 – that employ 862 people. Livonia has lowest number of people employed – 383 – at 32 facilities.

As of October 2018, there were 14,622 Japanese nationals residing in Michigan, with most concentrated in the southeast region. Novi has the highest population at 4,040, followed by Ann Arbor’s 2,014. Rochester Hills has the fewest, with 306 people.

The Consulate-General of Japan in Detroit was established in 1993 by the Japanese government to serve in Michigan and Ohio. The Detroit office is one of 14 Japanese Consulates-General in the country. The consulate strives to promote a better understanding of Japan and Japanese culture through educational and cultural programs while protecting the interests of Japanese citizens and strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance by furthering relations with local governments, companies, educational institutions, cultural organizations, and the public.