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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Midwest > News Release
News Release Information

26-40-CHI
Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Michigan Job Openings and Labor Turnover — October 2025

Michigan had 213,000 job openings in October 2025, compared to 236,000 openings in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that the job openings rate in Michigan was 4.5 percent in October and 4.9 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.5 percent in October and 4.6 percent in September. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

  Line chart displaying job openings as a percent of employment for the United States and Michigan from October 2021 through October 2025. Data are seasonally adjusted. An accessible version is available in the View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data

In October, Michigan had 171,000 hires and 179,000 separations, compared to 181,000 hires and 160,000 separations in September. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in October, hires have averaged 175,000 per month and separations have averaged 162,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

  Line chart displaying hires and total separations in Michigan from October 2021 through October 2025. Data are seasonally adjusted. Numbers are in thousands. An accessible version is available in the View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data

Among the October separations in Michigan, 102,000 were quits and 68,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 101,000 quits and 51,000 layoffs and discharges in September. (See chart 3.) Over the year, quits averaged 97,000 per month, ranging from 86,000 to 109,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 59,000 per month, ranging from 34,000 to 91,000.

  Line chart displaying quits and layoffs and discharges in Michigan from October 2021 through October 2025. Data are seasonally adjusted. Numbers are in thousands. An accessible version is available in the View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data

Federal Government Shutdown

September 2025 state JOLTS estimates reported in this release include partial data that businesses self-reported electronically during the lapse in appropriations and data collected in November following the shutdown. October 2025 data presented in this release were collected in November following the shutdown, as originally planned. The October 2025 unemployment data are unavailable due to the shutdown, and therefore the number of unemployed persons per job opening is also unavailable.

Additionally, BLS temporarily suspended use of the monthly alignment methodology for October 2025 preliminary estimates; use of this methodology will resume with the publication of October 2025 final estimates. See the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note for information on state JOLTS alignment methodology.

Upcoming Change to the JOLTS State Estimates

The national State Job Openings and Labor Turnover news release will move from a monthly news release to an annual news release. The last monthly news release will occur with the December 2025 data published in February 2026. The first annual news release will be in July 2026. Going forward, monthly estimates for the prior calendar year will be published each year along with the annual news release. The annual news release will incorporate benchmark revisions to JOLTS national estimates, updated Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates, and updated Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data.

State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for November 2025 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).


Technical Note

This news release presents statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The JOLTS program provides information on labor demand and turnover. The state estimates produced by JOLTS are model-based, incorporating JOLTS sample, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), and Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates. For more information see the JOLTS State Estimates Methodology.

Job Openings. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the reference month. A job is open only if it meets all three of these conditions:

  • A specific position exists and there is work available for that position.
  • The job could start within 30 days.
  • The employer is actively recruiting workers from outside the establishment to fill the position.

The number of unemployed persons per job opening is a ratio of the level of unemployed persons and the level of job openings. The number of unemployed persons at the national level is an estimate from the Current Population Survey (CPS), while state-level unemployment estimates are modeled by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. A ratio of 1.0 means there is a job available for every unemployed person. Lower ratios signal tighter labor markets, where firms have more job openings than there are unemployed persons available to work. Higher ratios indicate there are more unemployed persons competing for each job opening.

Hires. Hires include all additions to the payroll during the entire reference month.

Separations. Separations include all separations from the payroll during the entire reference month and are reported by type of separation: quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations.

  • Quits include employees who left voluntarily, except for retirements or transfers to other locations.
  • Layoffs and discharges include involuntary separations initiated by the employer.
  • Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, separations due to employee disability, and deaths.

Levels and rates of other separations represent a small portion of total separations and are not published with the release of state estimates.

Complete definitions, including exclusions, and additional information about the State JOLTS data presented in this release are available in the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Job openings and labor turnover for Michigan, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
EstimateOctober 2024July 2025August 2025September 2025October 2025(p)Change from September 2025 to October 2025(p)

Openings

214252252236213-23

Hires

165179166181171-10

Total separations

16715416416017919

Quits

10086961011021

Layoffs & discharges

616261516817

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Michigan, seasonally adjusted
EstimateOctober 2024July 2025August 2025September 2025October 2025(p)Change from September 2025 to October 2025(p)

Openings(1)

4.55.35.34.94.5-0.4

Hires(2)

3.74.03.74.03.8-0.2

Total separations(3)

3.73.43.63.53.90.4

Quits(3)

2.21.92.12.22.20.0

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.41.41.31.11.50.4

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.

Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted
EstimateOctober 2024July 2025August 2025September 2025October 2025Change from September 2025 to October 2025

Openings(1)

4.64.34.34.64.5-0.1

Hires(2)

3.43.33.23.43.40.0

Total separations(3)

3.33.33.23.33.2-0.1

Quits(3)

2.02.01.92.01.9-0.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.11.11.11.11.20.1

Footnotes:
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026