June 27, 2026
Jobs? More like oops
Michigan spent $1.8B and only created 602 jobs
Taxpayers paid billions, got 602 jobs, and the comments are absolutely furious
TLDR: Michigan spent $1.8 billion on major business deals that were supposed to bring over 20,000 jobs, but only 602 have appeared so far. Readers are roasting the whole thing as wasteful at best and corrupt at worst, with many furious that real public money went out the door.
Michigan’s big jobs gamble has turned into pure comment-section gasoline. A new report says the state spent $1.8 billion on splashy company deals that were supposed to create 20,595 jobs—but only 602 jobs have shown up so far. That math sent readers into instant meltdown mode, with one commenter doing the back-of-the-envelope calculation that this works out to about $2.5 million per job. Unsurprisingly, people were not exactly handing out gold stars.
The loudest reaction? Rage. Commenters called the whole thing everything from a scandal to “straight corruption,” with some demanding investigations and saying companies should face harsh penalties if they take public money and fail to deliver. Others zeroed in on a detail that made the story feel even worse: this wasn’t just a future tax break, but in some cases actual cash being handed over. That distinction cranked up the outrage fast.
But the drama didn’t stop at anger. There was also a bitter, cynical chorus basically saying: why is anyone acting surprised? One commenter mocked the idea that Michigan had “learned a lesson,” arguing governments keep trying this over and over even when the ending always looks the same. Even the lighter comments came with side-eye, like the reader who got distracted by the article image and blurted out, “What the hell is that image of Whitmer.” In other words: the policy debate was heated, the trust level was underground, and the community verdict was savage.
Key Points
- •A report cited in the article says Gov. Gretchen Whitmer authorized $6.9 billion in business subsidies in Michigan since 2019.
- •The report examined eight major projects with at least $100 million in incentives, totaling $2.7 billion in promised support.
- •According to the report, those eight projects were projected to create 20,595 jobs but had created 602 jobs so far, while $1.8 billion had already been spent.
- •Four of the eight projects involved Ford, General Motors, or Stellantis, and two others involved automotive component manufacturers.
- •The article highlights a canceled Fiat Chrysler incentive and SOAR-funded EV and battery projects involving Ford, General Motors, and LG Energy Solution that later saw reduced or changed commitments.