LANSING, Mich. – Not seasonally adjusted jobless rates rose in all 17 Michigan labor market areas over the month, according to data released today by the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics.   

“All Michigan labor market areas exhibited typical seasonal unemployment rate increases in January,” said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. “January nonfarm jobs also fell across all Michigan metro areas over the month.”

Regional unemployment rates in the state ranged from 2.9 to 7.3 percent during January. Rate increases ranged from 0.2 to 0.7 percentage points, with a median increase of 0.5 percentage points. The largest over-the-month increase occurred in the Northeast Lower Michigan region.

Annual average unemployment rates down over year

Annual regional unemployment rates fell in all 17 Michigan regions over the year, with a median decrease of 0.2 percentage points. The most pronounced over-the-year rate reduction occurred in the Muskegon metro area (-0.6 percentage points).

Total employment down over month, up over year

Employment levels receded in 15 Michigan labor market areas during January, with a median reduction of 0.4 percent. The largest employment decrease occurred in the Lansing metropolitan statistical area (MSA). Total employment in the Ann Arbor and Midland MSAs remained unchanged since December 2023.  

All 17 Michigan labor market areas demonstrated employment advances over the year, with a median increase of 2.4 percent. The Niles metro area demonstrated the largest over-the-year employment gain (+4.6 percent).

Workforce level trends mixed over month, up over year

Regional labor force totals fell in nine Michigan regions over the month, with a median decrease of 0.3 percent. The most prominent over-the-month decrease occurred in the Lansing metro area (-1.9 percent). Workforce levels advanced in eight labor market areas in January, with a median increase of 0.3 percent.

All 17 Michigan labor market areas exhibited labor force gains over the year, with a median increase of 1.4 percent. The largest over-the-year workforce advance occurred in the Niles MSA (+3.8 percent).  

Regional nonfarm employment declines in January

According to the monthly survey of employers, Michigan not seasonally adjusted payroll jobs fell by 100,000, or 2.2 percent, over the month. Industries with the most prominent over-the-month reductions included trade, transportation, and utilities (-21,000) and government (-20,000).         

All 14 Michigan metro areas demonstrated payroll job decreases over the month, with a median reduction of 2.0 percent. The largest nonfarm employment decline occurred in the Lansing MSA (-4.5 percent).

Michigan total nonfarm jobs increased by 24,000 over the year, or 0.6 percent. Twelve metro areas demonstrated job gains since January 2023, with a median increase of 1.6 percent.  

County jobless rates up over month, down over year

Eighty-two Michigan counties displayed unemployment rate increases during January, with a median increase of 0.5 percentage points. Eighty Michigan counties exhibited unemployment rate reductions since January 2023.    

Note: Data in this release is not seasonally adjusted. As a result, employment and unemployment trends may differ from previously released Michigan seasonally adjusted data.

A breakdown of not seasonally adjusted January workforce estimates for Michigan and its 17 major labor market areas follows, along with a ranking of county jobless rates for January.     

Note to editors: Please ensure that the source for state unemployment rates reads “Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.”

For more detailed information, including data tables, view the full release.

Note data revisions:

The data in this release reflects recently revised historical estimates. All states in the nation participate in this revision process facilitated by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Labor force estimates for Michigan counties have been revised for all months of 2023. Revised data will be released in coming weeks for 2019–2022.

In addition, all unadjusted payroll job data for Michigan and all metro areas was revised for 2022 and 2023. For certain industries with larger historical revisions, unadjusted payroll job data was revised for multiple years, some back to 1990. For newly revised data, go to www.milmi.org/datasearch.

Previously published data for these years should be discarded and replaced with the new series.

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