LANSING, MI (WTVB) – Michigan’s labor market showed signs of stabilization in late 2025 as the statewide unemployment rate trended downward between September and November, despite broader economic delays caused by a federal government shutdown.
After reaching a mid-year high of 5.4% in June 2025, Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5.1% in September. Preliminary data indicates this downward trend continued through the fall, with not seasonally adjusted jobless rates declining in 14 of the state’s 17 major labor market areas between October and November 2025.
The release of these figures by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget was notably delayed by a 43-day federal government shutdown that lasted from October 1- November 12, 2025.
The shutdown halted data collection by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, leading the state to skip the October 2025 report.
While the falling rates provided relief, Michigan’s unemployment remained higher than the national average, which was 4.4% in September. Economists attributed much of the decline in the jobless rate to a receding labor force, as the number of people actively working or looking for work fell by approximately 2,000 in September.
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