Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has triumphantly announced Michigan added 27,000 jobs this fiscal year — but there appear to be difficulties with the numbers. 

WNEM in Saginaw ran what appears to be a press release from Whitmer’s office touting the jobs victories, including 13,000 additional construction jobs. Construction, per the release, remains strong as a sector.  

The news station reported there were “over 40,000 new good-paying auto jobs building cars, components, and batteries” that were “announced”.

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The data on the jobs in Whitmer’s release evidently comes from Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management, and Budget. But the DTMB data, and BLS data, paints a mixed picture of Michigan’s trajectory.

DTMB data shows seasonally adjusted employment sitting at 4,842,000 in January of 2024 and 4,826,000 in September. As of last month, Michigan was down 16,000 jobs this year. 

Meanwhile, DTMB’s LAUS data shows seasonally adjusted unemployment at 202,000 in January and 229,000 — that is, 27,000 more people unemployed now. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows the same downward trend in total employed persons, about 16,000 fewer employed in September versus January of this year. The trend reversed over the summer, but fell below its January figure, and further than this time last year by 11,000 jobs. 

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DTMB stated last week that “regional Michigan jobless rates” fell in September, and while 16 of 17 of Michigan’s labor markets saw gains, the largest, Detroit saw losses. 

Whitmer touted Michigan as top in the nation for investment in electric vehicle  manufacturing, despite growing opposition to the proposed CCP-linked Gotion manufacturing plant in Mecosta County. But Whitmer’s boasts are drowned out by Ford’s announcement this week it would be “temporarily” suspending production of the F-150 Lightning at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Facility in Dearborn. 

In any event, Michigan may have indeed added 27,000 discrete new jobs, but the employment picture Whitmer paints is difficult to argue for given the overall downward trajectory of Michigan jobs figures: 16,000 fewer employed persons according to BLS’ Household Survey. 

Though the Household Survey wouldn’t account for fewer working persons for reasons of retirement or death, the DTMB data also shows 27,000 more unemployed persons.