Michigan Nonfarm Payrolls — Total Jobs

Nonfarm payrolls is the BLS count of all paid workers in Michigan except farm workers, household workers, the self-employed, and military. Month-over-month change is the cleanest signal of whether the Michigan job market is growing or shrinking.

• Track which sectors are adding jobs — manufacturing, healthcare, and trade & transport drive most of the swings.
• If payrolls drop month-over-month for two consecutive months, expect tighter household budgets and watch for layoff announcements.
• Compare against the national average — Michigan typically tracks within 0.5 percentage points of the U.S. growth rate.