Local Area Unemployment Statistics, State and Area Employment, JOLTS · Michigan
How is the job market in Michigan?
The unemployment rate in Michigan was 5.0% in the month ended , against 4.2% for the United States.
Michigan, unemployment, each month
- Unemployment rate5.0%3.7% to 22.7%
- Participation rate58.5%56.7% to 62.3%
- Employment-population ratio55.5%43.8% to 59.5%
Michigan, people, each month
- Labor force, thousands4,826.44,561.8 to 5,075.9
- Employed, thousands4,585.53,525.5 to 4,839.1
- Unemployed, thousands241.0182.6 to 1,036.3
Michigan, jobs and pay, each month
- Nonfarm payrolls, thousands4,487.43,395.3 to 4,498.3
- Average hourly earnings$34.62$23.85 to $34.62
- Average weekly hours33.632.6 to 35.1
Michigan, openings and turnover rates, each month
- Job openings rate4.7%2.6% to 8.5%
- Hires rate3.8%3.0% to 9.1%
- Quits rate2.5%1.5% to 3.5%
- Layoffs and discharges rate1.3%0.5% to 11.7%
- Total separations rate4.0%2.8% to 14.4%
Each row is one measure of Michigan over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Michigan, openings and turnover, each month
- Job openings, thousands22192 to 397
- Hires, thousands171123 to 349
- Quits, thousands11152 to 152
- Layoffs and discharges, thousands5824 to 518
- Total separations, thousands178124 to 634
Each row is one measure of Michigan over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Right now
The unemployment rate in Michigan was 5.0% in September 2026, ranking 4th highest of 51 among the states and the District of Columbia.
Over a year it is up 0.1 percentage points (ours). The rate for the United States was 4.2% in the same month. The source marks this value preliminary.
The unemployment rate in September 2026 was the highest since May 2026.
Jobs and payOurs: change and rank
Nonfarm payroll employment was 4,487.4 thousand in September 2026, unchanged over a year (ours), 10th highest of 51.
Average hourly earnings of all employees on private payrolls was $34.62 in September 2026, up 3.3% over a year (ours), 26th highest of 51.
Job openings and turnoverOurs: change and rank
The job openings rate was 4.7% in December 2025, up 0.6 percentage points over a year (ours), 7th highest of 51.
The hires rate was 3.8% in December 2025, up 0.3 percentage points over a year (ours), 13th highest of 51.
The quits rate was 2.5% in December 2025, up 0.5 percentage points over a year (ours), 11th highest of 51.
Understanding the labor market of Michigan
Where it stands today
The unemployment rate in Michigan was 5.0% in September 2026.
What do the figures for Michigan measure?
This page gathers the labor market figures of Michigan that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes: how many people are in the labor force, at work and unemployed, how many payroll jobs there are and what they pay, and how many jobs are open and how many people were hired, quit or lost a job.
Read more
The unemployment figures come from Local Area Unemployment Statistics, a model that BLS runs for each state every month. The payroll jobs, hours and earnings come from a monthly survey of employers, and the job openings and labor turnover from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).
What 500metrics adds: each figure's rank among the fifty states and the District of Columbia, its change over a year, the last time it was higher and lower, the nation's figure beside a rate where BLS gives one, and the last ten years of every figure as small charts.
The numbers behind the chart
What are the latest figures for Michigan?19 measures, each in its own newest month
| Measure | Section | Month | Value | Change over a year | Rank | United States | Last higher | Last lower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | Unemployment | 5.0% | +0.1 pts | 4 of 51 | 4.2% | |||
| Participation rate | Unemployment | 58.5% | −2.3 pts | 41 of 51 | 61.8% | |||
| Employment-population ratio | Unemployment | 55.5% | −2.3 pts | 44 of 51 | 59.2% | |||
| Labor force | People | 4,826.4 thousand | −3.6% | 11 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Employed | People | 4,585.5 thousand | −3.6% | 11 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Unemployed | People | 241.0 thousand | −1.9% | 6 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Nonfarm payrolls | Jobs and pay | 4,487.4 thousand | 0.0% | 10 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Average hourly earnings | Jobs and pay | $34.62 | +3.3% | 26 of 51 | n/a | none since 2007 | ||
| Average weekly hours | Jobs and pay | 33.6 hours | −1.5% | 30 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Job openings rate | Openings and turnover rates | 4.7% | +0.6 pts | 7 of 51 | 4.0% | |||
| Hires rate | Openings and turnover rates | 3.8% | +0.3 pts | 13 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Quits rate | Openings and turnover rates | 2.5% | +0.5 pts | 11 of 51 | 2.0% | |||
| Layoffs and discharges rate | Openings and turnover rates | 1.3% | −0.2 pts | 4 of 51 | 1.1% | |||
| Total separations rate | Openings and turnover rates | 4.0% | +0.4 pts | 7 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Job openings | Openings and turnover | 221 thousand | +14.5% | 8 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Hires | Openings and turnover | 171 thousand | +8.2% | 8 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Quits | Openings and turnover | 111 thousand | +24.7% | 8 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Layoffs and discharges | Openings and turnover | 58 thousand | −12.1% | 7 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Total separations | Openings and turnover | 178 thousand | +11.3% | 8 of 51 | n/a |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
What is the unemployment rate in each county of Michigan?83 counties, September 2026, by name
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcona County | 6.3% | 6.9% | −0.6 pts |
| Alger County | 4.8% | 5.3% | −0.5 pts |
| Allegan County | 3.5% | 3.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Alpena County | 4.5% | 4.4% | +0.1 pts |
| Antrim County | 4.2% | 4.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Arenac County | 5.3% | 5.7% | −0.4 pts |
| Baraga County | 4.9% | 5.3% | −0.4 pts |
| Barry County | 4.0% | 4.2% | −0.2 pts |
| Bay County | 4.8% | 5.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Benzie County | 3.9% | 4.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Berrien County | 4.2% | 4.5% | −0.3 pts |
| Branch County | 3.6% | 3.9% | −0.3 pts |
| Calhoun County | 4.6% | 5.0% | −0.4 pts |
| Cass County | 4.3% | 4.3% | 0.0 pts |
| Charlevoix County | 3.6% | 3.9% | −0.3 pts |
| Cheboygan County | 4.1% | 4.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Chippewa County | 4.3% | 4.7% | −0.4 pts |
| Clare County | 5.4% | 6.1% | −0.7 pts |
| Clinton County | 3.5% | 3.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Crawford County | 4.9% | 5.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Delta County | 4.5% | 4.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Dickinson County | 3.9% | 3.9% | 0.0 pts |
| Eaton County | 3.8% | 4.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Emmet County | 3.8% | 4.1% | −0.3 pts |
| Genesee County | 5.1% | 5.6% | −0.5 pts |
Show 58 more rows
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gladwin County | 5.3% | 5.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Gogebic County | 5.3% | 5.3% | 0.0 pts |
| Grand Traverse County | 3.2% | 3.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Gratiot County | 4.5% | 4.5% | 0.0 pts |
| Hillsdale County | 4.1% | 4.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Houghton County | 4.2% | 4.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Huron County | 4.2% | 4.5% | −0.3 pts |
| Ingham County | 4.1% | 4.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Ionia County | 3.7% | 4.0% | −0.3 pts |
| Iosco County | 5.5% | 6.0% | −0.5 pts |
| Iron County | 5.8% | 6.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Isabella County | 4.3% | 4.6% | −0.3 pts |
| Jackson County | 4.5% | 4.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Kalamazoo County | 4.0% | 4.2% | −0.2 pts |
| Kalkaska County | 4.3% | 4.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Kent County | 3.7% | 3.9% | −0.2 pts |
| Keweenaw County | 4.8% | 4.7% | +0.1 pts |
| Lake County | 5.6% | 6.2% | −0.6 pts |
| Lapeer County | 5.1% | 4.3% | +0.8 pts |
| Leelanau County | 3.5% | 3.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Lenawee County | 4.2% | 4.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Livingston County | 4.3% | 3.5% | +0.8 pts |
| Luce County | 5.2% | 5.6% | −0.4 pts |
| Mackinac County | 3.5% | 3.3% | +0.2 pts |
| Macomb County | 5.5% | 4.7% | +0.8 pts |
| Manistee County | 4.6% | 5.2% | −0.6 pts |
| Marquette County | 4.2% | 4.2% | 0.0 pts |
| Mason County | 5.0% | 5.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Mecosta County | 4.6% | 5.5% | −0.9 pts |
| Menominee County | 3.7% | 3.8% | −0.1 pts |
| Midland County | 4.3% | 4.2% | +0.1 pts |
| Missaukee County | 4.1% | 4.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Monroe County | 4.3% | 4.6% | −0.3 pts |
| Montcalm County | 3.9% | 4.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Montmorency County | 5.4% | 5.6% | −0.2 pts |
| Muskegon County | 4.6% | 5.3% | −0.7 pts |
| Newaygo County | 4.5% | 4.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Oakland County | 4.7% | 3.9% | +0.8 pts |
| Oceana County | 4.8% | 5.2% | −0.4 pts |
| Ogemaw County | 5.9% | 6.4% | −0.5 pts |
| Ontonagon County | 5.2% | 5.9% | −0.7 pts |
| Osceola County | 4.7% | 5.6% | −0.9 pts |
| Oscoda County | 7.3% | 7.8% | −0.5 pts |
| Otsego County | 4.0% | 4.6% | −0.6 pts |
| Ottawa County | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Presque Isle County | 5.9% | 6.4% | −0.5 pts |
| Roscommon County | 5.5% | 6.4% | −0.9 pts |
| Saginaw County | 5.1% | 5.5% | −0.4 pts |
| Sanilac County | 4.6% | 5.1% | −0.5 pts |
| Schoolcraft County | 5.2% | 5.2% | 0.0 pts |
| Shiawassee County | 4.2% | 4.5% | −0.3 pts |
| St. Clair County | 5.2% | 4.5% | +0.7 pts |
| St. Joseph County | 4.4% | 4.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Tuscola County | 4.7% | 5.3% | −0.6 pts |
| Van Buren County | 4.1% | 4.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Washtenaw County | 3.7% | 3.8% | −0.1 pts |
| Wayne County | 6.7% | 5.9% | +0.8 pts |
| Wexford County | 4.7% | 4.8% | −0.1 pts |
What do these figures leave out, and how are they cited?Limits, dates and how to cite
What this number cannot tell you
- The unemployment figures of a state are estimates from a model, not a count. BLS revises the latest months as more data arrive and revises the past years every March.
- The payroll figures are estimates from a survey of employers. BLS revises them twice after the first release and once a year, when it benchmarks them to the count of jobs covered by unemployment insurance. Average hourly earnings and average weekly hours are for all employees on private payrolls and are not seasonally adjusted.
- The state figures of job openings and labor turnover come from a survey whose estimates for a single state have a larger sampling error than the nation's. Each figure shows its own newest month, which can be older than the month of the unemployment rate.
- A rank is among the fifty states and the District of Columbia in the same month, highest value first, and a large state ranks high on a count of people or jobs. The changes, the ranks and the months a figure was last higher and lower are ours, worked out from the values BLS publishes.
- The county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so each county's rate is set beside its own rate a year before.
Observed . Checked .
How to cite this
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Current Population Survey; State and Area Employment, Hours, and Earnings; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey), labor market of Michigan, through September 2026. Compiled by 500metrics, "How is the job market in Michigan?", https://500metrics.com/states/michigan.
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