Counties in Michigan by unemployment rate

Oscoda County had the highest unemployment rate of 83 counties in May 2026, at 9.2%. Grand Traverse County had the lowest, at 3.9%. The median was 5.5% and the figure for Michigan was 5.1%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest9.2Oscoda County
Median5.583 counties
Michigan5.1History

Top 40 counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Oscoda CountyOscoda County: 9.2 %9.2Ontonagon CountyOntonagon County: 8.1 %8.1Alcona CountyAlcona County: 8 %8Alger CountyAlger County: 8 %8Presque Isle CountyPresque Isle County: 8 %8Luce CountyLuce County: 7.6 %7.6Keweenaw CountyKeweenaw County: 7.4 %7.4Ogemaw CountyOgemaw County: 7.4 %7.4Iron CountyIron County: 7.3 %7.3Montmorency CountyMontmorency County: 7.2 %7.2Schoolcraft CountySchoolcraft County: 7.1 %7.1Roscommon CountyRoscommon County: 7 %7Arenac CountyArenac County: 6.9 %6.9Iosco CountyIosco County: 6.9 %6.9Clare CountyClare County: 6.7 %6.7Lake CountyLake County: 6.7 %6.7Gogebic CountyGogebic County: 6.6 %6.6Baraga CountyBaraga County: 6.4 %6.4Gladwin CountyGladwin County: 6.4 %6.4Oceana CountyOceana County: 6.4 %6.4Wayne CountyWayne County: 6.4 %6.4Crawford CountyCrawford County: 6.3 %6.3Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 6.2 %6.2Saginaw CountySaginaw County: 6.1 %6.1Cheboygan CountyCheboygan County: 6 %6Delta CountyDelta County: 6 %6Genesee CountyGenesee County: 6 %6Sanilac CountySanilac County: 6 %6Houghton CountyHoughton County: 5.9 %5.9Mason CountyMason County: 5.9 %5.9Mecosta CountyMecosta County: 5.9 %5.9Manistee CountyManistee County: 5.8 %5.8Tuscola CountyTuscola County: 5.8 %5.8Bay CountyBay County: 5.7 %5.7Mackinac CountyMackinac County: 5.7 %5.7Osceola CountyOsceola County: 5.7 %5.7Antrim CountyAntrim County: 5.6 %5.6Gratiot CountyGratiot County: 5.6 %5.6Marquette CountyMarquette County: 5.6 %5.6Huron CountyHuron County: 5.5 %5.5
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Oscoda County9.2-0.3 pts
2Ontonagon County8.1-0.5 pts
3Alcona County8-0.8 pts
3Alger County8-0.1 pts
3Presque Isle County8-0.2 pts
6Luce County7.6+0.2 pts
7Keweenaw County7.4+0.4 pts
7Ogemaw County7.4-0.6 pts
9Iron County7.3-0.6 pts
10Montmorency County7.2+0.1 pts
11Schoolcraft County7.1-0.3 pts
12Roscommon County7-1 pts
13Arenac County6.9-0.1 pts
13Iosco County6.9-0.5 pts
15Clare County6.7-0.6 pts
15Lake County6.7-0.8 pts
17Gogebic County6.6-0.1 pts
18Baraga County6.4-1.1 pts
18Gladwin County6.4-0.4 pts
18Oceana County6.4-0.4 pts
18Wayne County6.4+0.7 pts
22Crawford County6.3-0.6 pts
23Chippewa County6.2-0.4 pts
24Saginaw County6.1-0.3 pts
25Cheboygan County6-0.2 pts
25Delta County6-0.1 pts
25Genesee County6-0.3 pts
25Sanilac County6-0.9 pts
29Houghton County5.9-0.6 pts
29Mason County5.9-0.1 pts
29Mecosta County5.9-0.5 pts
32Manistee County5.8-0.7 pts
32Tuscola County5.8-0.4 pts
34Bay County5.7-0.4 pts
34Mackinac County5.7+0.4 pts
34Osceola County5.7-1.1 pts
37Antrim County5.6-0.2 pts
37Gratiot County5.6-0.1 pts
37Marquette County5.6-0.3 pts
40Huron County5.5-0.4 pts
40Isabella County5.5-0.4 pts
40Kalkaska County5.5-0.4 pts
43Muskegon County5.4-0.3 pts
43Wexford County5.4-0.7 pts
45Calhoun County5.3-0.3 pts
45Macomb County5.3+0.5 pts
45Newaygo County5.3-0.3 pts
45St. Clair County5.3+0.6 pts
49Hillsdale County5.2-0.3 pts
49Lapeer County5.2+0.6 pts
49Monroe County5.2-0.1 pts
49Shiawassee County5.2-0.1 pts
53Berrien County5.1-0.2 pts
53Emmet County5.1-0.6 pts
53Jackson County5.1-0.2 pts
56Alpena County5-0.6 pts
56Lenawee County5-0.1 pts
56Midland County5+0.1 pts
56Otsego County5-0.7 pts
56St. Joseph County5-0.2 pts
56Van Buren County5-0.4 pts
62Barry County4.9-0.1 pts
62Benzie County4.9-0.4 pts
62Cass County4.9-0.3 pts
62Dickinson County4.9-0.3 pts
62Ingham County4.9-0.2 pts
62Missaukee County4.9-0.4 pts
68Charlevoix County4.80 pts
69Kalamazoo County4.7-0.2 pts
69Menominee County4.7-0.1 pts
69Montcalm County4.7-0.4 pts
72Oakland County4.6+0.8 pts
73Eaton County4.5-0.2 pts
73Ionia County4.5-0.2 pts
75Kent County4.4-0.1 pts
75Leelanau County4.4-0.2 pts
77Branch County4.3-0.3 pts
77Livingston County4.3+0.8 pts
77Washtenaw County4.3-0.2 pts
80Ottawa County4.2-0.2 pts
81Allegan County4.1-0.4 pts
81Clinton County4.1-0.2 pts
83Grand Traverse County3.9-0.2 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?

Oscoda County, with 9.2% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Grand Traverse County, with 3.9% in May 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