Economic Development

Michigan Spent $1.8 Billion and Only Created 602 Jobs

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer promised "generational" investments in her state, but as she leaves office, there's little to show for it.

Joe Lancaster | 6.26.2026 12:55 PM

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(Illustration: Adani Samat. Photo: Mackinac Center For Public Policy/Envato)

One of the great economic myths that never seems to die is the idea that giving taxpayer money to a private company will yield a windfall, incentivizing the company to create jobs and generate wealth that otherwise would not exist.

And yet time and time again, the benefits fall far short of what was promised, if they materialize at all. A new report suggests the state of Michigan is the latest to learn that lesson the hard way.

"Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer offered billions of taxpayer dollars to select companies in an effort to create jobs during her eight-year term," writes James M. Hohman, director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. "Overall, she has authorized $6.9 billion for business subsidies since gaining office in 2019."

In a new report, Hohman examined eight major projects—"those that offered $100 million in payments and received significant media attention"—totaling $2.7 billion in promised incentives. Hohman then assessed how the investments paid off.

Governments have a terrible track record of picking winners and losers, and it turns out that Michigan, under Whitmer, did not break the trend.

"None of these deals have delivered what was........

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