March 12, 2026
At the start of 2025, there were nearly 100,000 continued claims. However, claims quickly declined to be closer to 2024 levels by the second quarter. After an over-the-year decline in October, the first since April 2023, continued claims increased to exceed 2024 levels in November and December. Overall, continued claims increased over the year in all but one month in 2025.
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Michigan Continued Unemployment Insurance Claims
Source: U.S. Employment and Training Administration
While the sharp increases in claims in 2024 were driven by the Manufacturing industry, increases in 2025 were more widespread—particularly towards the end of the year. In 2025, Manufacturing accounted for more than half of the over-the-year increase in continued claims in just one month: January. In 2024, this occurred eight times. Despite the smaller, often negative contributions from Manufacturing to the over-the-year change in continued claims, total claims still exceeded their 2024 levels consistently throughout 2025.
Contribution to Over-the-Year Change in Continued Unemployment Insurance Claims, 2024–2025
Source: U.S. Employment and Training Administration
As Manufacturing claims declined over-the-year, several other industries saw substantial increases in continued claims throughout 2025. Several rounds of layoffs in Management of companies and enterprises led to sharp rises in the Professional and business services sector. In addition, Education and health services and Financial activities hovered around levels more than 20 percent higher than 2024 for much of the second half of 2025.
Over-the-Year Change in Continued Unemployment Insurance Claims, 2024–2025, Selected Industries
Source: U.S. Employment and Training Administration
The Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration’s Characteristics of 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 individuals who are unemployed 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.
