Oakland County, MI jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meOakland County economy
4.7%
unemployment, Sep 2026
3.9% the month before
686,120
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
1,272,294
people in Oakland County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$95,296
median household income
Source: Census ACS
54%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Oakland County ranks
Where Oakland County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #3Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the Great Lakes31% · of 100
- #4Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the Midwest31% · of 100
- #7Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Great Lakes54% · of 100
- #9Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Midwest54% · of 100
Oakland County outlook: Steady
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 0.1% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 1.2% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 4.7%, up 0.8 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+13,567 jobs), finance & insurance (+3,666 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: professional & technical (−10,843 jobs), admin & staffing (−5,489 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Oakland County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Events & Festivalswaterfordcouncil · Oct 16, 2026
- Latest News & Announcementswaterfordcouncil · Oct 16, 2026
Learn and get funded in Oakland County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Oakland County layoffs
17
Layoff notices, last 12 months
2,256
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
15
employers
Employers hiring most in Oakland County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- Lucid Motors39 open roles
- Scout Motors30 open roles
- Alten Technology USA28 open roles
- Lear25 open roles
- Publicis Groupe21 open roles
- Stellantis17 open roles
- Sun Communities17 open roles
- Daifuku Co., Ltd./ADR16 open roles
- UHY14 open roles
- Corewell Health12 open roles
Largest employers headquartered in Oakland County
- Lear20,001–100,000 employees
Employee counts with a year are published figures (Wikidata). Other sizes are estimates from our company directory, not payroll counts.
Colleges in Oakland County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland University | Rochester Hills | Public 4-year | 10,000–19,999 |
| Lawrence Technological University | Southfield | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Rochester University | Rochester Hills | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Cranbrook Academy of Art | Bloomfield Hills | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Michigan School of Psychology | Farmington Hills | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Walsh College | Troy | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Yeshiva Gedolah of Greater Detroit | Oak Park | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Conferences in Oakland County
Industry conferences and trade shows held in Oakland County. 2 with dates announced.
- MEMA Annual Conference & Expo
Nov 18 to Nov 19, 2026 · Novi, MI
Paid ticket. Price not published in sources read (mema.org returned 403 to direct fetch).
- SAE WCX World Congress Experience
Apr 27 to Apr 29, 2027 · Novi, MI
Paid ticket. 2027 prices not seen.
Open call for speakers · deadline Sep 19, 2026
- AIAG Quality Summit
Usually September (next dates not announced) · Novi, MI
Paid ticket. 2027 dates not posted.
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Oakland County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Michigan? How to file for unemployment in Michigan (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
Oakland County Michigan Works! Novi
Novi · Comprehensive · 248-926-1820
8am - 5pm M - F
Oakland County Michigan Works! Pontiac
Pontiac · Comprehensive · 248-276-1777
8:00-5:00 M, Tu, Thr, Fri and 8:00-7:00 Wed
Oakland County Michigan Works! Troy
Troy · Comprehensive · 248-823-5101
8-5 M-F
Oakland County Michigan Works! Waterford
Waterford · Comprehensive · 248-617-3600
Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Cities in Oakland County
Other Michigan counties
Laid off or looking for work in Oakland County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Michigan’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Michigan unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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