Department of Numbers

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Michigan Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Detroit fell 0.7 percentage points in February 2021 to 4.5%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points lower than the Michigan rate. The unemployment rate in Detroit peaked in April 2020 at 24.7% and is now 20.2 percentage points lower. You can also compare Detroit unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.2% -0.1 +2.7
Michigan 5.2% -0.5 +1.5
Detroit 4.5% -0.7 +0.3
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with February 2021 data as March metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Detroit, Michigan, National

Detroit, Michigan monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Detroit, Michigan Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Detroit peaked in April 2020 at 480,837. There are now 390,144 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Detroit employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Detroit, Michigan) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Detroit 90,693 -14,309 -705

Number of Unemployed Persons

Detroit, Michigan Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Michigan
Unemployment Rate		 Detroit
Unemployment Rate		 Detroit
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 5.2% 4.5% 90,693
January
2021		 6.3% 5.7% 5.2% 105,002
December
2020		 6.7% 8.2% 10.3% 218,613
November
2020		 6.7% 8.2% 10.2% 216,858
October
2020		 6.9% 8.1% 10.1% 215,027
September
2020		 7.8% 8.2% 10.3% 217,386
August
2020		 8.4% 8.5% 10.6% 224,247
July
2020		 10.2% 9.0% 11.1% 235,314
June
2020		 11.1% 14.1% 18.7% 393,700
May
2020		 13.3% 20.8% 24.3% 473,508
April
2020		 14.8% 23.6% 24.7% 480,837

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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