How many jobs were added in last month?

Updated May. 22, 2026Refreshed monthly
Michigan gained 5,300 jobs in April 2026, ranking it 16th among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 5,700 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.

+5.3K

month to month change in number of jobs (April 2026)

16th

rank among states in monthly job growth (April 2026)
April 2026's gain of 5,300 jobs was the second consecutive month of positive job growth in Michigan. Monthly job growth was up from the 5,000 new jobs in March 2026.
During the latest five year period (May 2021 to April 2026), Michigan gained jobs in 43 out of 60 months. April 2026 had the 29th-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (+53,700) while job growth was weakest in October 2023 (-27,700).

There were 5,300 more jobs in April 2026 in Michigan than the previous month.

Monthly change in nonfarm employment, May 2021–April 2026, seasonally adjusted

Which Michigan sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in April 2026?

The three supersectors with the highest job growth in April 2026 were accommodation and food services, retail trade, and arts, entertainment, and recreation. Accommodation and food services added 2,000 jobs, more than the entire economy. Retail trade gained 1,600 jobs, while arts, entertainment, and recreation added 1,200. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.

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The health care and social assistance sector lost 400 jobs during April 2026.

Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Michigan (April 2026)

How does Michigan's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?

In 2025, the state has lost an average of 558 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 533, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as fifth-lowest in job growth since 2006.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 18,100 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 8,200 on average every month in 2011.

In 2025, Michigan lost an average of 558 jobs every month.

Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted

Job growth among 15 metro areas primarily in Michigan during April 2026 ranged from a loss of 500 jobs in the Ann Arbor, MI area to a gain of 700 jobs in the Detroit, MI area metro area.

Monthly job growth, by metro area

Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Michigan

Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areaChange in jobs

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.