Counties in Michigan by unemployment rate

Mackinac County had the highest unemployment rate of 83 counties in January 2026, at 18.9%. Oakland County had the lowest, at 4.2%. The median was 6.4% and the figure for Michigan was 5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest18.9Mackinac County
Median6.483 counties
Michigan5History

Top 40 counties, January 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Mackinac CountyMackinac County: 18.9 %18.9Cheboygan CountyCheboygan County: 13 %13Oscoda CountyOscoda County: 12.5 %12.5Presque Isle CountyPresque Isle County: 11.9 %11.9Schoolcraft CountySchoolcraft County: 11.2 %11.2Alcona CountyAlcona County: 10.9 %10.9Ogemaw CountyOgemaw County: 10.4 %10.4Roscommon CountyRoscommon County: 10 %10Montmorency CountyMontmorency County: 9.8 %9.8Alger CountyAlger County: 9.7 %9.7Arenac CountyArenac County: 9.6 %9.6Iosco CountyIosco County: 9.4 %9.4Iron CountyIron County: 9 %9Oceana CountyOceana County: 9 %9Genesee CountyGenesee County: 8.9 %8.9Clare CountyClare County: 8.8 %8.8Crawford CountyCrawford County: 8.4 %8.4Ontonagon CountyOntonagon County: 8.2 %8.2Osceola CountyOsceola County: 8.2 %8.2Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 8.1 %8.1Gladwin CountyGladwin County: 8 %8Luce CountyLuce County: 7.9 %7.9Lake CountyLake County: 7.8 %7.8Mecosta CountyMecosta County: 7.7 %7.7Sanilac CountySanilac County: 7.6 %7.6Baraga CountyBaraga County: 7.5 %7.5Antrim CountyAntrim County: 7.3 %7.3Mason CountyMason County: 7.3 %7.3Saginaw CountySaginaw County: 7.3 %7.3Emmet CountyEmmet County: 7.2 %7.2Tuscola CountyTuscola County: 7.2 %7.2Delta CountyDelta County: 7.1 %7.1Keweenaw CountyKeweenaw County: 7.1 %7.1Lapeer CountyLapeer County: 7 %7Manistee CountyManistee County: 6.9 %6.9Bay CountyBay County: 6.8 %6.8Huron CountyHuron County: 6.8 %6.8Kalkaska CountyKalkaska County: 6.7 %6.7Benzie CountyBenzie County: 6.6 %6.6Shiawassee CountyShiawassee County: 6.6 %6.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1Mackinac County18.9-1.8 pts
2Cheboygan County13-1.5 pts
3Oscoda County12.5-1.4 pts
4Presque Isle County11.9-0.7 pts
5Schoolcraft County11.2-0.1 pts
6Alcona County10.9-0.5 pts
7Ogemaw County10.4-0.9 pts
8Roscommon County10-1.3 pts
9Montmorency County9.8-0.8 pts
10Alger County9.7-0.9 pts
11Arenac County9.6-0.4 pts
12Iosco County9.4-1.1 pts
13Iron County9-0.8 pts
13Oceana County9-0.9 pts
15Genesee County8.9+2 pts
16Clare County8.80 pts
17Crawford County8.4-0.2 pts
18Ontonagon County8.2+0.7 pts
18Osceola County8.2-0.7 pts
20Chippewa County8.1-0.6 pts
21Gladwin County8-0.2 pts
22Luce County7.9-0.8 pts
23Lake County7.8-1.6 pts
24Mecosta County7.7-0.5 pts
25Sanilac County7.6-1.1 pts
26Baraga County7.5-1.8 pts
27Antrim County7.3-0.6 pts
27Mason County7.3-0.2 pts
27Saginaw County7.3+0.1 pts
30Emmet County7.2-0.6 pts
30Tuscola County7.2-0.4 pts
32Delta County7.1-0.4 pts
32Keweenaw County7.1-0.7 pts
34Lapeer County7+0.3 pts
35Manistee County6.9-0.9 pts
36Bay County6.8-0.1 pts
36Huron County6.8-0.8 pts
38Kalkaska County6.7-0.7 pts
39Benzie County6.6-0.5 pts
39Shiawassee County6.6+0.3 pts
41Gogebic County6.50 pts
42Missaukee County6.4-0.6 pts
43Van Buren County6.3-0.4 pts
43Wayne County6.3-0.6 pts
45Marquette County6.2-0.1 pts
45Newaygo County6.2-0.3 pts
47Alpena County6.1-0.4 pts
47Gratiot County6.1+0.1 pts
47Otsego County6.1-0.8 pts
47Wexford County6.1-0.9 pts
51Charlevoix County6-0.6 pts
51Isabella County6+0.3 pts
51St. Clair County60 pts
54Hillsdale County5.9-0.2 pts
55Calhoun County5.80 pts
55Lenawee County5.80 pts
57Houghton County5.7+0.1 pts
57Jackson County5.7-0.1 pts
57Monroe County5.7-0.8 pts
57Muskegon County5.7-0.3 pts
61Berrien County5.5-0.4 pts
61Montcalm County5.5-0.1 pts
61St. Joseph County5.5-0.5 pts
64Barry County5.40 pts
64Cass County5.4-0.4 pts
64Midland County5.4+0.1 pts
67Dickinson County5.3-0.1 pts
68Macomb County5.2-0.4 pts
69Ingham County5.1+0.2 pts
69Ionia County5.1-0.2 pts
69Menominee County5.1-0.1 pts
72Eaton County4.9+0.1 pts
72Leelanau County4.9-0.6 pts
74Allegan County4.8-0.2 pts
74Branch County4.8-0.1 pts
76Kalamazoo County4.7+0.1 pts
77Clinton County4.50 pts
78Kent County4.40 pts
79Grand Traverse County4.3-0.3 pts
79Ottawa County4.30 pts
79Washtenaw County4.30 pts
82Livingston County4.2+0.4 pts
82Oakland County4.2+0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Mackinac County, with 18.9% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Oakland County, with 4.2% in January 2026.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Michigan: more rankings