Michigan Continued Unemployment Insurance Claims Increase Over the Year in First Quarter 2025

The Employment and Training Administration’s Characteristics of the Unemployment Insurance Claimants reports the demographic, occupation, and industry information for those filing continued unemployment insurance claims. This monthly data reflects claims filed for the week containing the 12th of the month, the same reference week the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses for unemployment rate estimates. While unemployed individuals may not claim unemployment benefits for a variety of reasons, continued claims data can provide insight into the demographic and industrial trends among those who are unemployed.

Continued unemployment insurance claims in Michigan experienced substantial over-the-year increases in first quarter 2025. While the quarterly average of continued claims for first quarter 2024 was slightly below 71,500, the quarterly average for first quarter 2025 was just under 86,600—a 21.1 percent increase. January 2025 marked the largest number of monthly continued claims since May 2021­­.

In January 2025, total not seasonally adjusted continued claims reached their highest level since May 2021.

Total Michigan Continued Unemployment Insurance Claims, Not Seasonally Adjusted

Source: Characteristics of the Unemployment Insurance Claimants, U.S. Employment and Training Administration

During the first quarter of 2025, the over-the-year increase in total continued claims was particularly high in January at 37.6 percent.  February and March saw much smaller claims increases of 10.3 and 15.6 percent, respectively. The large over-the-year increase in January continued claims was driven by goods-producing industries, particularly Manufacturing where claims nearly tripled compared to January 2024 levels. Among service-providing industries, there were substantial increases in the number of continued claims in Trade, transportation, and utilities throughout the quarter.

The large over-the-year increase in continued claims in January 2025 was primarily driven by Manufacturing industry claims.

Contribution to Over-the-Year Change in Michigan Continued Unemployment Insurance Claims, First Quarter 2024–First Quarter 2025

Source: Characteristics of the Unemployment Insurance Claimants, U.S. Employment and Training Administration

Note: Industry sectors contributions may not add up to total due to a small number of claims not having available industry information.

On a quarterly basis, every industry sector, except for Financial activities, experienced an over-the-year increase in continued claims compared to first quarter 2024. While Manufacturing and Trade, transportation, and utilities had the largest increases, five other sectors had claim increases nearing or exceeding 10 percent.

Financial activities was the only industry sector with a decrease in continued claims over the year.

Over-the-Year Percent Change in Michigan Continued Claims by Industry Sector, First Quarter 2024 – First Quarter 2025

Source: Characteristics of the Unemployment Insurance Claimants, U.S. Employment and Training Administration

The share of claims by industry can vary for many reasons, such as current events or the seasonal nature of the industry itself. From first quarter 2024 to first quarter 2025, the Manufacturing industry’s share of total continued claims experienced a substantial increase from 15.3 percent to 22.8 percent.

The Professional and business services and Construction sectors accounted for the second and third largest shares of overall continued claims in first quarter 2025 at 20.3 and 20.1 percent, both down roughly 2 percentage points from first quarter 2024. Though claims coming from these industries made up a large portion of all claims, the first quarter of each year tends to have high seasonal unemployment for these industries. Trade, transportation, and utilities was the only industry sector besides Manufacturing to see a slight increase in its share of continued claims. All other sectors accounted for a smaller share of claims compared to first quarter 2024.

Manufacturing and Trade, transportation, and utilities were the only sectors to account for a large share of continued claims in first quarter 2025 compared to first quarter 2024.

Percent Share of Total Michigan Continued Claims by Industry Sector, First Quarter 2024 and First Quarter 2025

Source: Characteristics of the Unemployment Insurance Claimants, U.S. Employment and Training Administration

Note: Percent shares may not add up to 100 due to a small number of claims not having available industry information.

Over-the-year changes in continued claims were not uniform across demographic groups. Compared to first quarter 2024, the number of continued claims filed by Asian individuals in first quarter 2025 more than doubled from 2,600 to 5,600. Claims filed by Black individuals also increased substantially by just over 50 percent from 39,600 to 60,100. In comparison, continued claims filed by white individuals increased by 10.1 percent, and claims filed by those identifying as ethnically Hispanic or Latino increased by 11.5 percent. A comparison of change in claims by gender over the year shows that claims advanced by 19.7 percent for men and 24.1 percent for women.

The number of continued claims filed by Asian and Black individuals increased substantially over the year from first quarter 2024 to first quarter 2025.

Over-the-Year Percent Change in Michigan Continued Claims by Race, First Quarter 2024 – First Quarter 2025

Source: Characteristics of the Unemployment Insurance Claimants, U.S. Employment and Training Administration