LANSING, MI (WTVB) – Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 5.0% in January 2026, marking no change from the revised December 2025 rate.
Despite the overall stability, the state’s workforce dipped by 7,000 as total employment fell by 10,000, countered by a slight increase of 3,000 in the number of unemployed individuals.
Nationally, the jobless rate edged down to 4.3%, leaving Michigan 0.7 percentage points above the federal average as the labor force fell below five million workers for the first time in several months.
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget reports a rise in Branch and surrounding counties, as all experienced typical seasonal shifts.
Branch County saw an increase, moving from 4.0% in December to roughly 4.4% for January. St. Joseph County reported a January rate of 5.5%, an increase from its December 2025 level of 4.2%. Hillsdale County saw its rate climb to 5.9% in January, up from 4.6%, while Calhoun County remained higher but stable at 5.6%, up slightly from 5.1% in December.
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