Key Findings

State of the Labor Market in the 16-County WIN Region

In the fourth quarter of 2019, the size of the labor force decreased in southeast Michigan, though employment figures increased. The combination of a declining labor force with rising employment numbers caused the proportion of unemployed individuals to decrease significantly in the region. The unemployment rate fell from the 4.6 percent quarterly rate in Q3 2019 to the current rate of 3.5 percent in Q4 2019. Employer demand for all occupation groups analyzed by WIN fell during Q4 2019, though most are finishing the year stronger than they started it. The information technology occupation group experienced an 8.2 percent increase in postings since Q1 2019.

Annual Labor Market Information

Considering annual, rather than quarterly, figures, t he labor force in southeast Michigan continued to grow. It increased by 35,354 individuals between 2018 and 2019 annual levels. Employment increased by 36,166 workers between 2018 a nd 2019. As the increase in employment just surpassed the increase in the labor force, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points for a 2019 annual rate of 4.2 percent in the 16- county WIN region.

Annual Labor Force, Employment, Unemployment Rate

2010–2019

Data: BLS | Analysis: Workforce Intelligence Network

Quarterly Employer Demand Overview

Data from the fourth quarter of 2019, including posting information from October, November, and December, showed slowing employer demand in southeast Michigan. There were 104,895 fewer postings during Q4 2019 than the unusually high 438,640 postings made by employers during Q3 2019. There were also 14,598 fewer postings than in Q4 2018.

Quarterly Posting Analysis, WIN Region

Q4 2019