State Sen. John Proos, R-St. Joseph, said Monday he is “good and confident we are moving in the right direction.”

Proos said in an interview with the Star that the legislature would be focusing this session on reducing long-term debt and liability. He said he does not expect the budget to be wrapped up before Memorial Day.

Proos reports that most Michigan manufacturers — including some local companies — are at capacity; however, some are not hiring because they are “unwilling or uncertain of the future.”

Some companies are offering overtime instead of hiring additional workers.

Proos attributes the manufacturing demand “in part to the resurrection of the auto industry.”

At the Detroit auto show this week, auto industry analysts predicted auto sales will grow from 4 to 9 percent in 2012 — the third consecutive year of growth.

Michigan is coming out of the recession at the second-fastest rate in the U.S. The one state outpacing Michigan is oil boom-fueled North Dakota. According to a recent jobs report, the statewide unadjusted jobless rate for November was 8.4 percent, down from 9.2 percent in October.