Dylan Schafer, Economic Manager
Reviewing labor market trends among different demographic populations can highlight disparities among groups. Demographic data for all states are published as an annual average by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics once a year. This data comes from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which is a different source than the standard monthly labor market information containing Michigan’s official unemployment rate, labor force, and payroll jobs. Comparisons should not be made with monthly data, as the demographic information presented here is a December 12-month average from 2020 to 2024 for Michigan and the United States. Due to a lapse in federal appropriations, October 2025 data collection did not occur for the CPS, so data for December 2025 will be calculated as an 11-month average.
Data from the CPS shows that unemployment rates for Michigan’s male and female population have fallen considerably since the elevated levels seen in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2020 and 2023, both male and female jobless rates saw gradual declines, with rates falling by 6.1 and 5.7 percentage points, respectively. Michigan’s male unemployment rate rose to 5.4 percent in 2024 and remained relatively stable, with the jobless rate declining slightly to 5.3 percent in 2025. The female jobless rate declined through 2024, down to 3.7 percent, but increased in 2025 to 5.0 percent.
Michigan Annual Average Unemployment Rates by Gender, 2020–2025
Source: Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Male and female jobless rates have typically followed a similar trend, with the male rate exceeding the female rate for most years since 2020. Only in 2022 and 2023 did the female unemployment rate marginally surpass the male rate. In 2024, Michigan’s male unemployment rate exceeded the female rate by 1.7 percentage points, but by 2025, the disparity between the two groups declined to just 0.3 percentage points.
The national unemployment rates by gender have followed a similar trend to that seen in Michigan. Nationally, male jobless rates declined consistently between 2020 and 2022, from 7.8 percent to 3.7 percent. The female unemployment rate fell from 8.3 percent in 2020, down to 3.5 percent in 2023. After a period of gradual decline, both groups saw annual increases in unemployment rates, with the male jobless rate rising to 4.4 percent in 2025, while the female rate rose to 4.2 percent.
2020–2025
2020–2025
Source: Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Michigan’s male jobless rate exceeded the national rate for the majority of years from 2020 to 2025, with the exception of 2023 where rates were equal. The largest discrepancy between the two metrics occurred in 2020 when Michigan’s male jobless rate was 2.1 percentage points higher than the national average. Females in Michigan have typically had a higher jobless rate than the national average counterpart, with the exceptions of 2021 and 2024, when the U.S. rate exceeded that of Michigan’s. Like that for males, the largest gap in unemployment rates for females occurred in 2020 when Michigan’s rate surpassed the national rate by 1.3 percentage points.
Males who are working age (ages 16+) in Michigan consistently participated in the labor force at higher rates than females. At 65.8 percent participation, males in Michigan exceeded participation rates of female counterparts (56.5 percent) by roughly 10 percentage points in 2025. Between 2020 and 2025, workforce participation for females in Michigan was, on average, 9.5 percentage points lower than the male rate.
Michigan Male and Female Labor Force Participation Rate, 2020–2025
Source: Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
In 2025, the nation’s male and female workforce participation rates exceeded Michigan’s rates by 2.0 and 0.8 percentage points, respectively. The national male workforce participation rate consistently exceeded Michigan’s male participation rate between 2020 and 2025. On average over the period, the U.S. male participation rate was 2.3 percentage points higher than Michigan’s rate. Michigan’s female participation rate more closely aligned with the national rate for the majority of this period, with the largest exception being in 2021 and 2022, when the U.S. rate exceeded Michigan’s by 2.0 percentage points.
Unemployment rates for individuals ages 16 to 24 consistently exceeded rates of other age groups. In 2020, the unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds was 19.4 percent, compared with 8.1 percent for individuals ages 25 to 54 and 8.8 percent for those 55 and older. Since then, jobless rates across all three age groups have experienced consistent shifts, likely as a result of post-pandemic recovery. By 2025, the unemployment rate for those ages 16 to 24 had fallen by 6.1 percentage points, while workers ages 25 to 54 declined by 4.1 percentage points. Unemployment rates for individuals 55 and older fell at a similar rate to other age groups, decreasing by 5.4 percentage points.
When comparing unemployment rates by age group in Michigan to national rates, Michigan typically experienced higher jobless rates across all age groupings. In 2020, Michigan unemployment rates exceeded the national average across all age cohorts. Rates for individuals ages 16 to 24 exceeded the U.S.’s by 4.5 percentage points, while those 25 to 54 and 55 and older surpassed the national rates by 1.0 and 1.9 percentage points, respectively. By 2025, Michigan’s unemployment rates continued to surpass national averages for every age group, with U.S. rates for individuals ages 16 to 24 being 3.3 percentage points below Michigan’s rate and the unemployment rates for those ages 25 to 54 and 55 and older each 0.4 percentage points lower.
Michigan Unemployment Rates by Age, 2020–2025
Source: Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Workforce participation by age groups in Michigan saw relatively little change in recent years. From 2020 to 2025, participation rates for Michigan’s youth population (ages 16 to 24) rose from 58.2 percent to 62.2 percent. Rates for prime working age individuals (ages 25 to 54) increased at a comparable level, advancing from 80.5 percent to 84.4 percent. In contrast, labor force participation for older workers (ages 55+) saw an overall decline, with rates decreasing from 37.1 percent to 34.5 percent.
Michigan Labor Force Participation by Age, 2020–2025
Source: Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
A comparison of Michigan’s labor force participation rates with national rates by age reveals a clearer pattern for some groups than others. From 2020 to 2025, participation rates in Michigan for young workers averaged 5.2 percentage points above the national rate. In contrast, the U.S. consistently outpaced Michigan among those ages 55 and older, with Michigan’s rates averaging 2.8 percentage points lower. No consistent trend emerges when comparing participation rates for prime-age working individuals. National rates were higher than Michigan’s from 2020 to 2023, but from 2024 to 2025, Michigan’s rates overtook the national level.
Jobless rates for Black workers in Michigan remained consistently above rates for white workers. The largest disparity in jobless rate between the two groups occurred in 2020 when the Black unemployment rate was 10.7 percentage points higher than the white jobless rate. During subsequent years, the gap between both unemployment rates declined, falling to its lowest point in 2023 at 2.4 percentage points. By 2025, the disparity in jobless rates between Black and white individuals had risen to 5.8 percentage points.
Michigan Unemployment Rates by Race, 2020–2025
Source: Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Michigan’s unemployment rates for white and Black individuals exceeded national levels for the same metrics from 2020 through 2025. On average, Michigan’s white unemployment rate surpassed the national average by 0.5 percentage points over the period, with the greatest separation occurring in 2020 at 1.1 percentage points. Over the same period, Michigan’s Black unemployment rate was, on average, 2.8 percentage points higher than the national average. Similar to white individuals, the largest gap in unemployment rates for Black workers occurred in 2020, when Michigan’s rate was 7.7 percentage points greater than the national rate.
Between 2020 and 2023, labor force participation among white individuals in the state exceeded that of Black individuals. Participation rates for both groups fluctuated in recent years. In 2024, a shift occurred when the white participation rate declined to 61.5 percent, while the Black rate rose to 61.9 percent, resulting in a 0.4 percentage point gap. In 2025, the white participation rate fell slightly by 0.3 percentage points to 61.2 percent, while Black participation saw a much sharper decline, dropping 3.7 percentage points to 58.2 percent.
2020–2025
2020–2025
Source: Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Black and white participation rates at the national level consistently outpaced rates in Michigan from 2020 to 2025. Black Michigan residents participated in the labor force at a rate that is 3.3 percentage points below the national level, on average. The gap between the U.S. and Michigan for white individuals was not as severe, with an average disparity of 1.1 percentage points.
Note: This section uses 11-month moving average data for June 2026. The data from July 2025–June 2026 excludes October 2025.
In the first six months of 2026, Michigan’s male unemployment rate increased slightly by 0.1 percentage points, while the female rate declined by 0.3 percentage points. Labor force participation for both genders fell by more than 1.0 percentage point. The youth unemployment rate decreased while unemployment rates among individuals ages 25 and older showed small upticks. Similarly, the workforce participation rate rose quickly for individuals ages 16 to 24 but declined for the older age groups. Black unemployment rates rose slightly in the early months of 2026, while the white jobless rate fell marginally. The labor force participation rate for Black individuals has increased so far in 2026, while the white participation rate decreased.
Michigan’s labor market showed meaningful shifts across gender, age, and racial groups between 2020 and 2025. Male and female unemployment rates generally declined since 2020, though recent increases narrowed the gap between the two groups. Labor force participation remained higher for men, both statewide and nationally. Youth unemployment continued to exceed that of prime‑age and older workers, while workforce participation strengthened for younger and prime‑age groups but fell among older adults. Black unemployment rates consistently exceeded white rates, and labor force participation fluctuated between the two groups.
