Workforce Overview

Employer demand decreased by 13.0 percent, a loss of 231,129 job postings since 2019. Customer Service is the top posting occupation group through 2020 with 342,484 postings.

During 2020, there were 1,551,802 job postings, 231,129 less than the 1,782,931 postings made during 2019 in the State of Michigan. December 2020 saw the highest demand with 358,045 postings since the shut down due to COVID-19, however, postings are up 20.1 percent since December 2019. The top posted job titles in 2020 include CDL-A Truck Drivers, CDL Truck Drivers, Child Care Professionals, Delivery Drivers, and Registered Nurses. For more information about in-demand job postings, see page 9.

Top Posting Occupation Groups

2020

Job postings made by employers in Michigan indicate a high school diploma or equivalent is the most in-demand minimum education level during 2020.

Of the 1,551,802 unique postings in the State of Michigan during 2020, 333,305 (21.5 percent) required a high school diploma or equivalent, while 337,514 postings (21.7 percent) required a college degree. An additional 104,886 postings (6.8 percent) required an advanced degree. The high demand for customer service roles within Michigan, drives this high demand for workers with various skillsets.

Education Levels In-Demand

2020

Employment in the State of Michigan totaled 4,560,000 Q4 2020, a decrease of 203,000 workers (4.3 percent) since Q4 2019.

The quarterly labor market has seen shifts following the outbreak of COVID-19. The first quarter of 2020 saw a slight decrease in the labor force and employment, while unemployment, and the unemployment rate rose 0.6 percentage points. The COVID-19 shutdown, which started in Q2 2020, caused the employment in Michigan to drop from 4,730,000 workers in Q1 to 3,830,000 workers in Q2, a decrease of 900,000 workers or 19.0 percent. Unemployment rose by 742,333 workers, more than triple the 196,333 workers recorded in Q1. Similarly, the unemployment rate rose in Q2, up from 4.0 percent in Q1 to 19.7 percent in Q2 2020. Since Q3 2020, the market has slowly begun to realign toward prepandemic levels, showing a decrease in unemployment and the unemployment rate through Q4 2020. For more information about this year’s unemployment rate and other labor market indicators, see page 4.

Quarterly Labor Market Data