Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined by one-tenth of a percentage point between September and November, according to data released Tuesday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.
State officials report that total employment fell by 6,000 during the two-month period, while the number of unemployed people declined by 7,000. Those changes resulted in a net labor force decrease of 13,000 workers.
Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for Michigan’s Center for Data and Analytics, said the data reflect ongoing trends despite gaps caused by a federal government shutdown in October.
“Although the state lacked several key labor metrics for October, data for the two-month period from September to November revealed continued trends of a declining unemployment rate and total labor force,” Rourke said. He added that payroll job growth in November was limited and showed little overall change since April.
Michigan’s November unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points higher than the national rate, which increased by two-tenths of a percentage point during the same period to 4.6 percent. Over the past year, the national unemployment rate rose by four-tenths of a percentage point, while Michigan’s rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points since November 2024.
The state’s labor force has declined by 58,000 workers, or 1.1 percent, since March 2025. Between September and November, Michigan’s unemployed population fell by 2.7 percent, while the national unemployment level increased by 3.0 percent.
Total employment in Michigan declined by 0.6 percent over the year, compared to a 1.6 percent increase nationwide since November 2024. The statewide labor force participation rate fell by two-tenths of a percentage point during the period to 61.1 percent, while the employment-population ratio decreased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 58.1 percent.
State officials noted that employment data for October were affected by the suspension of federal government services from Oct. 1 through Nov. 12. As a result, household survey data for October 2025 were not collected or published. However, extended data collection periods allowed payroll employment estimates for October to be released through the establishment survey.
