Less Than Half of Michigan’s Counties Experienced Over-the-Year Employment Growth

In September 2024, Michigan’s private sector employment rose to 3,850,800, a 0.1 percent (+4,900 jobs) increase over the year, according to the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. From September 2023 to September 2024, private employment totals show job gains in 38 counties, while job losses occurred in 45 counties. Over the year, the largest numeric job gains occurred in Wayne (+3,100), Eaton (+1,500), and Kent (+1,000) counties. The most job losses occurred in Macomb (-5,900), Oakland (-4,300), and Ottawa (-3,400) counties.

Between September 2023 and September 2024, the counties with the largest percent increase in employment were Gladwin (+11.3 percent), Schoolcraft (+6.0 percent), and Alger (+6.0 percent). The greatest job declines were in Oscoda (-12.4 percent), Keweenaw (-7.2 percent), Mecosta (-6.5 percent), and Atrium (-6.5 percent) counties.

Large Counties With Employment of More Than 100,000 

There were only nine counties in Michigan with private employment greater than 100,000 in the third quarter of 2024, representing 67 percent (2,596,000) of the state’s jobs. Job gains were greatest in Wayne (+3,100), Kent (+1,000), and Genesee (+600) counties, while employment losses were found in Macomb (-5,900), Oakland (-4,300), and Ottawa (-3,400) counties. Overall employment for all nine large counties declined by 8,800 from September 2023 to September 2024.

Medium-Sized Counties With Employment Between 25,000-100,000

There were 13 counties with private employment ranging between 25,000 and 100,000. These mid-sized counties represented 15 percent (588,000) of statewide employment. This group gained 3,400 (+0.6 percent) jobs between September 2023 and September 2024. The most jobs were added in Eaton County (+1,500) and Calhoun County (+1,000), while losses were greatest in Jackson (-800), Berrien (-400), and Saginaw (-400) counties.

Small Counties With Employment of Less Than 25,000

In September 2024, there were 61 counties with employment of less than 25,000 in private industries. Twenty-four of these counties had increased employment over the year, 36 counties recorded declines, and one was flat since September 2023. Together, these 61 small counties had an employment drop of 2,200 (-0.4 percent) over this period. Employment change rates for some of these small counties experienced wide fluctuation since more than one-half of them represented less than 10,000 jobs.

Growth rates for some small counties appear large but represent only a few hundred workers.

Top Five Greatest Employment Gains and Losses for Small Michigan Counties, September 2023 to September 2024

Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Michigan Center for Data and Analytics

Employment Not Allocated to Any County

Roughly five percent of statewide employment (179,000 jobs) is within firms that are not associated with any county. These workers are employed at businesses with no primary work location or that have not yet been assigned to a county. Employment growth in this group of firms showed 12,500 (+7.5 percent) job additions between September 2023 and September 2024, the most of any of the county size classifications.

Job gains from mid-sized counties and unallocated firms offset losses from small and large counties.

Michigan Employment Change by County Size Classification, September 2023 to September 2024

Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Michigan Center for Data and Analytics