Michigan Q1, 2019 Employment Statistics- 249,679 employers, up 1.9% from 245,130
- 4,289,854 employees, up 0.8% from 4,256,062
- $1,078 average weekly wage, up 0.1% from $1,077
- The average weekly wage is 9.0% below the national average
- The cost of living is 10.7% below the national average
Employer & Employee Growth
In the last year, the number of employers in the state increased by 4,549, which is an increase of 1.9%. The number of employees in Michigan increased by 33,792, an increase of 0.8%. During this same period, the average weekly wage increased by $1, an increase of 0.1%.
The number of private employers increased since last years' Q1. The number of private businesses increased by 4,551 or 1.9%. Growth in private businesses in Michigan grew slower than the national average of 3.0%. The number of employees in these businesses increased since last years' Q1, increasing by 34,703 or 0.9%. The growth in employees of private businesses in Michigan was slower than the national average of 1.7%.
The average weekly wage of employees of private businesses decreased since last years' Q1. The averge weekly wage declined by $3 or 0.3%. Growth in average weekly wage of employees of private businesses in Michigan grew slower than the national average of 3.0%.
Leading Sectors
Businesses by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of businesses in the state is Retail trade with 12.9% of the businesses in the state. The number of businesses in this sector increased by 1.0%. Other services (12.5%), which increased by 3.0% and Professional services (11.1%), which increased by 1.8%, round out the 3 largest sectors.
Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Business Change %
| Sector | Change Biz | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Company management | 76 | 6.0% |
| Information | 337 | 5.5% |
| Transport and warehousing | 319 | 4.9% |
| Agriculture and forestry | 91 | 3.2% |
| Other services | 906 | 3.0% |
| Real estate and rental | 208 | 2.9% |
| Utilities | 12 | 2.9% |
| Construction | 564 | 2.9% |
| Educational services | 86 | 2.8% |
| Manufacturing | 414 | 2.6% |
| Mining and oil extraction | 9 | 2.2% |
| Professional services | 502 | 1.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 221 | 1.2% |
| Retail trade | 333 | 1.0% |
| Arts and entertainment | -14 | -0.4% |
| Finance and insurance | -68 | -0.6% |
| Healthcare | -177 | -0.8% |
| Waste services | -173 | -1.3% |
| Wholesale trade | -183 | -1.4% |
Employees by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of employees in the state is Manufacturing with 14.7% of the employees in the state, had an increase in employees of 1.5% in the last year. Healthcare (13.8%), increased by 0.3% and Retail trade (10.6%), decreased by 0.9%, round out the top 3 sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Employee Change %
| Sector | Employee Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Transport and warehousing | 10,513 | 8.7% |
| Company management | 2,882 | 4.3% |
| Construction | 5,085 | 3.4% |
| Arts and entertainment | 1,358 | 3.1% |
| Real estate and rental | 1,326 | 2.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 2,822 | 1.9% |
| Utilities | 310 | 1.6% |
| Professional services | 4,626 | 1.6% |
| Manufacturing | 9,073 | 1.5% |
| Other services | 1,819 | 1.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,113 | 0.6% |
| Mining and oil extraction | 20 | 0.4% |
| Agriculture and forestry | 81 | 0.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 564 | 0.4% |
| Healthcare | 1,702 | 0.3% |
| Retail trade | -4,067 | -0.9% |
| Educational services | -763 | -1.2% |
| Information | -1,052 | -1.9% |
| Waste services | -6,067 | -2.1% |
Average Weekly Wage by Sector
The sector that pays their employees the highest is Company management paying $3,117per week compared with the state average of $1,082. Weekly wages in this sector declined by $317 or 9.2%. Utilities ($2,919), rose by $209 or 7.7% and Finance and insurance ($1,766) declined by $55 or 3.0% round out the 3 largest sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Weekly Wage Change %
| Sector | Wage Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | $209 | 7.7% |
| Mining and oil extraction | $92 | 6.0% |
| Agriculture and forestry | $33 | 5.1% |
| Information | $61 | 4.0% |
| Healthcare | $29 | 3.1% |
| Waste services | $17 | 2.5% |
| Other services | $13 | 2.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | $6 | 1.7% |
| Retail trade | $9 | 1.5% |
| Real estate and rental | $4 | 0.4% |
| Wholesale trade | $0 | 0.0% |
| Construction | $-2 | -0.2% |
| Professional services | $-16 | -0.9% |
| Transport and warehousing | $-17 | -1.5% |
| Manufacturing | $-38 | -2.7% |
| Finance and insurance | $-55 | -3.0% |
| Educational services | $-34 | -4.5% |
| Arts and entertainment | $-41 | -5.9% |
| Company management | $-317 | -9.2% |
Leading Industries
Businesses by Industry
Each broad sector is made up of specific industries. In Michigan. the industry with the most businesses is Restaurants and other eating places with 5.5% of the businesses in the state (with 13,642 employing 286,572 workers). The Restaurants and other eating places industry had 184 more businesses, an increase of 1.4% in the last year. Private households (5.1% of businesses) added 909 businesses, an increase of 7.7% and Residential building construction (2.2% of businesses) added 234 businesses, an increase of 4.3% round out the 3 industries with the most businesses.Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change %
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Securities and commodity exchanges | 4 | 80.0% |
| Trusts estates and agency accounts | 20 | 52.6% |
| Apiculture | 3 | 42.9% |
| Breakfast cereal manufacturing | 3 | 33.3% |
| Fiber yarn and thread mills | 2 | 33.3% |
| Other consumer goods rental | 123 | 28.9% |
| All other specialty trade contractors | 360 | 28.1% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change #
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Private households | 909 | 7.7% |
| All other professional and technical services | 499 | 13.9% |
| All other specialty trade contractors | 360 | 28.1% |
| Residential building construction | 234 | 4.3% |
| General merchandise stores including warehouse clubs and supercenters | 186 | 9.4% |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 184 | 1.4% |
| All other miscellaneous manufacturing | 174 | 14.4% |
Employees by Industry
Private households (5.1% of employees) added 909 employees, an increase of 7.7% and Residential building construction (2.2% ofemployees) added 234 employees, an increase of 4.3% round out the 3 industries with the most employees.Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change %
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Forest nursery and gathering forest products | 74 | 146.1% |
| Sheep farming | 8 | 90.8% |
| Aquaculture | 34 | 77.6% |
| Miscellaneous intermediation | 253 | 64.3% |
| Electric lamp bulb and part manufacturing | 3 | 60.0% |
| Natural gas extraction | 62 | 52.6% |
| Scenic and sightseeing transportation other | 4 | 51.9% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change #
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| General warehousing and storage | 5,128 | 35.2% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 2,882 | 4.3% |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 2,464 | 0.9% |
| Engineering services | 2,290 | 4.2% |
| Direct life and health insurance carriers | 2,203 | 16.2% |
| Management consulting services | 1,631 | 6.3% |
| All other professional and technical services | 1,319 | 9.3% |
Average Weekly Wage by Industry
Private households ($5) and Residential building construction ($2) round out the top 3 industries. Employees in the Private households ($5 per week) were paid $909 more per week, an increase of 7.7% and Residential building construction ($2 per week) were paid $234 more per week, an increase of 4.3% round out the 3 industries that pay their employees the most.Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change %
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Monetary authorities - central bank | $1,174 | 140.4% |
| Footwear merchant wholesalers | $1,911 | 79.6% |
| Tour operators | $292 | 46.6% |
| Photofinishing | $254 | 39.8% |
| Trusts estates and agency accounts | $383 | 38.1% |
| Navigational services to shipping | $975 | 37.9% |
| Toy and hobby goods merchant wholesalers | $287 | 37.5% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change $
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Footwear merchant wholesalers | $1,911 | 79.6% |
| Monetary authorities - central bank | $1,174 | 140.4% |
| Navigational services to shipping | $975 | 37.9% |
| Sales financing | $631 | 21.4% |
| Electric lamp bulb and part manufacturing | $533 | 21.2% |
| Trusts estates and agency accounts | $383 | 38.1% |
| Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing | $354 | 18.0% |
Company Size
Michigan Businesses by Size
The solopreneur company, has the most businesses in Michigan by far. 60.0% of all businesses in the state have fewer than 5 employees. The 229,695 small businesses in the state represent 94.8% of all private businesses. The national average is 92.9%. (Small businesses have fewer than 50 employees, Solopreneurs employ fewer than 5.) Michigan added 4,551 businesses in the last year, an increase of 1.9% as compared to the national average of 3.0%.Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 4,519 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 2.0% as compared to the national average of 3.1%.
Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. These mid-sized businesses added 50 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 0.4% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. These large businesses declined 18 businesses in the last year, which is a decrease of 2.8% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Michigan Employees by Business Size
Michigan added 104,109 employees in the last year, an increase of 2.9% as compared to the national average of 5.2%. Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 56,920 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 32.9% as compared to the national average of 4.2%.Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. Mid-sized businesses added 44,143 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 3.1% as compared to the national average of 4.7%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. Large businesses added 3,046 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 0.4% as compared to the national average of 9.2%.
Michigan Avg Weekly Wages by Business Size
Michigan workers in every size business are paid less than the national average. The smallest companies in Michigan (those with fewer than 5 employees) pay workers 3.8% less than the national average ($968 per week as compared to the national average of $1,005 per week). The largest companies in Michigan (those with more than 1,000 employees) pay 25.5% workers below the national average ($1,524 per week as compared to the national average of $1,913 per week).Average weekly wages in small businesses added $71 per week in the last year, which is an increase of 2.1% as compared to the national average of 3.1%. Employees of mid-sized businesses lost $19 in wages per week in the last year, which is a decrease of 0.6% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Employees of large businesses added $-27 of weekly wages in the last year, which is an increase of -0.9% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Data Sources
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