Civilian labor force in Detroit, MI

Civilian labor force in Detroit, MI was 264,639 in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is unchanged from 2024. That is the 1st highest of 51 cities in 2025.

2025, persons264,639
Change on 2024-0%
Series high407,0101992
Series low242,6532015

Next release: Wednesday, 28 October 2026, 10:00 ET, announced by BLS. Release calendar

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Civilian labor force in Detroit, MI, 1990 to 2025

200K250K300K350K400K450K19901996200220082014202020251990: 399,987 persons1991: 402,268 persons1992: 407,010 persons1993: 394,058 persons1994: 385,662 persons1995: 384,516 persons1996: 389,864 persons1997: 385,740 persons1998: 387,570 persons1999: 392,705 persons2000: 380,536 persons2001: 379,519 persons2002: 374,358 persons2003: 377,238 persons2004: 374,267 persons2005: 368,754 persons2006: 363,662 persons2007: 357,617 persons2008: 354,031 persons2009: 367,687 persons2010: 275,778 persons2011: 259,386 persons2012: 258,736 persons2013: 259,559 persons2014: 250,963 persons2015: 242,653 persons2016: 252,726 persons2017: 255,629 persons2018: 256,957 persons2019: 258,933 persons2020: 269,019 persons2021: 256,260 persons2022: 252,424 persons2023: 258,491 persons2024: 264,685 persons2025: 264,639 persons
persons. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. Retrieved 2026-10-12, published 2026-09-30.
All 36 values
Periodpersons
2025264,639
2024264,685
2023258,491
2022252,424
2021256,260
2020269,019
2019258,933
2018256,957
2017255,629
2016252,726
2015242,653
2014250,963
2013259,559
2012258,736
2011259,386
2010275,778
2009367,687
2008354,031
2007357,617
2006363,662
2005368,754
2004374,267
2003377,238
2002374,358
2001379,519
2000380,536
1999392,705
1998387,570
1997385,740
1996389,864
1995384,516
1994385,662
1993394,058
1992407,010
1991402,268
1990399,987

Rankings

Definition

Employed plus unemployed residents, annual average. People aged 16 and over by place of residence, from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Active-duty military personnel and people living in institutions are excluded.

United States cities only for now. Counts people where they live, not jobs: for wage and salary jobs by state use oews_employment. BLS estimates cities by splitting county estimates with Census Bureau employment and population data and unemployment insurance claims, so city figures are less precise than state ones. BLS publishes cities of 25,000 or more, and smaller cities in New England.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average (Civilian labor force, Detroit, MI, 1990 to 2025) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29

MLA 9

Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average, Civilian labor force, Detroit, MI, 1990 to 2025. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30 Sept. 2026, https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/detroit-mi. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. Civilian labor force, Detroit, MI, 1990 to 2025. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/detroit-mi.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average, Civilian labor force, Detroit, MI, 1990 to 2025 [Dataset]. Available at: https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/detroit-mi (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_civilian_labor_force_detroit_2025,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average: Civilian labor force, Detroit, MI, 1990 to 2025}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/detroit-mi. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average: Civilian labor force, Detroit, MI, 1990 to 2025
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29
L2  - https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/detroit-mi
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/detroit-mi.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

What is the civilian labor force in Detroit, MI?

Civilian labor force in Detroit, MI was 264,639 in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is unchanged from 2024. That is the 1st highest of 51 cities in 2025.

Where does this figure come from?

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.

What was the highest civilian labor force in Detroit, MI?

407,010 in 1992, the highest value since 1990 in this series.

Civilian labor force elsewhere in Michigan

Related statistics for Detroit, MI

All statistics for Detroit, MI | Detroit, MI in figures