Jobs for grads hot, but not in Michigan

The Detroit News reports:

As roughly 40,000 Michigan college seniors painstakingly craft their first resumes and sign up for on-campus job interviews this winter, they'll find plenty of employers lining up to hire them -- at least outside the state.

The chances of finding a job for 2007 graduates are better than they have been in at least five years, according to surveys and experts. The National Association of Colleges and Employers, the trade group for college career centers, said a survey of employers this fall showed they expect to hire 17.4 percent more new college graduates in 2006-07 than in previous academic years.

While some sectors in Michigan are in the market for graduates -- health care and professional business services, among them -- others are downsizing in one of the worst state economies in years and have no plans to hire from the college ranks.

Many Michigan college graduates will have better luck finding a job in another state in 2007, said Donald Grimes, a senior research specialist at the University of Michigan's Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations.

"Nationally, it'll be a pretty good market," Grimes said. "In Michigan, it's going to be a lot harder -- even worse than 2006."

The strong demand for college grads has been evident at campus job fairs this year. Michigan State University hosted 20 percent more companies at its fall job fair, said Kelley Bishop, executive director of career services. National companies made up most of the increase, but there were many Michigan businesses there as well.

"Michigan-based companies have leveled off," said Phil Gardner, director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at MSU. "But the national companies picked up the slack. Maybe things are looking up."

The struggles of Blue America.The union influenced state of Michigan can't seem to create jobs like other places.What's the matter with Michigan?