Krystal Jones, Economic Analyst
Trisha Schlegel, Economic Analyst
Data Note: This section examines Help Wanted Online (HWOL) data from Lightcast Developer and the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. HWOL is real-time online job advertisement data that can be broken down by occupation and industry information. JOLTS provides information on job openings, labor turnover, hires, separations, and more.
The increase in average job openings, online job advertisements, and growth in other measures of labor demand illustrated Michigan’s need for workers in 2025. While unemployed individuals outpaced job openings, a decrease in that ratio over the year pointed to an optimistic outlook for future worker demand.
According to the state Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), all but one measure of labor demand increased on average in 2025. The job openings rate, a measure of job openings as a percentage of employment, recorded an average of 4.8 percent in 2025 (+0.1 percentage point over the year). This was due to the addition of approximately 4,000 more job openings on average in 2025 (226,000). Michigan registered the ninth highest rate among states and was above the national average (4.3 percent).
The statewide quits rate, a measure of quits as a percentage of employment, averaged 2.2 percent in 2025, a small jump from 2024 (2.0 percent). Similarly, the separations rate (3.6 percent) and hires rate (3.7 percent) both exceeded their 2024 averages. Each of these metrics were higher than their respective national averages of 3.2 percent.
In 2025, Michigan recorded an average labor turnover rate of 7.2 percent, a jump from 6.8 percent in 2024. This was driven by an over-the-year increase in its two components, hires and separations, as mentioned earlier. The labor turnover rate was notably higher than the national average (6.4 percent) and was 10th among other states.
Michigan had more than 1,041,810 unique online advertisements posted in 2025. This was a 13 percent increase from 2024, which had roughly 919,400 unique advertisements. Advertisements throughout the state were highest between June and November 2025 but the full year showed an average of 194,180 total available ads per month in 2025.
The first six months of 2026 have shown a notable uptick in online job advertisements. Nearly 222,000 advertisements were available in May 2026, the greatest monthly total in two and a half years. The average monthly job postings for the first half of 2026 were 209,500 ads, indicating that 2026 will bring an increase in annual ads compared to 2025.
Total Monthly Online Advertisements in Michigan
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine
The industries with the most advertisements in 2025 were Healthcare and social assistance (174,200 ads); Retail trade (128,500 ads); and Manufacturing (102,700 ads). These top three industries were unchanged between 2024 and 2025 as they are some of the largest in the state and need a variety of occupations to be filled.
Some of the top occupations needing to be filled within Healthcare and social assistance were Registered nurses; Home health and personal care aides; and Health technologists and technicians. Retail trade most heavily posted positions for Retail salespersons; First-line supervisors of retail salespersons; and Stockers and order fillers. Lastly, Manufacturing had Production workers; Industrial engineers; and Software developers as their most posted positions. Overall, in Michigan, the most advertised occupations in 2025 were Registered nurses; Retail salespersons; and First-line supervisors of retail sales workers.
In 2025, the average supply and demand ratio was 1.3. The rate of 1.3 represents approximately 130 unemployed Michiganders per every 100 open online job advertisements. Despite online job ads rising since 2024, the supply and demand rate is comparable (rate of 1.4 in 2024) due to increasing numbers of unemployed people in the state. Over the course of the year, the supply and demand ratio gradually decreased from a rate of 1.7 in January to 1.2 in December. However, the annual average is higher than in recent years such as 2022 (rate of 0.8) and 2023 (rate of 1.0). As of the first six months of 2026, the supply and demand rate has declined due to increased job ad counts and less unemployed individuals, on average.
Average Annual Supply and Demand Rate in Michigan
*2025 excludes October data due to federal shutdown.
**2026 data is only available for January through June.
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine (Job Advertisements); Local Area Unemployment Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Unemployment)
Data Note: Due to a lack of availability in October unemployment data, this section compares monthly December data instead of annual averages.
JOLTS data on the unemployed persons to job openings ratio was also indicative of rising labor demand. Michigan recorded a ratio of 1.13 in December 2025. A ratio greater than one indicates that the number of individuals available to work exceeds the number of available jobs, meaning that unemployed individuals in Michigan outpaced job openings in December 2025. However, this was a notable drop from the year prior, where it was recorded at 1.33 in December. Compared to other states, Michigan held the 13th highest ratio, which was a significant drop from 2024 when the state was second highest. Michigan was also behind the national ratio of 1.15.
Ratio of Unemployed Persons to Job Openings, December 2022–December 2025
Source: Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Data from both Help Wanted Online (HWOL) and the state Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) demonstrated a rise in labor demand over the past year. Average openings have increased alongside total job advertisements, and while the unemployed persons to job openings ratio still exceeded one, the decline from 2024 to 2025 appears promising. Overall, indicators from the past year have all pointed to a positive shift in the demand for workers in Michigan.
