Wayne County, MI jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meWayne County economy
6.7%
unemployment, Sep 2026
5.9% the month before
819,492
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
1,773,767
people in Wayne County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$59,521
median household income
Source: Census ACS
36%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Wayne County ranks
Where Wayne County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
Wayne County outlook: Cooling
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 0.3% from 2022 to 2025
- Population down 1.2% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 6.7%, up 0.8 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+12,505 jobs), hotels & food (+5,465 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: admin & staffing (−6,391 jobs), manufacturing (−6,179 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Wayne County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Will AI kill jobs? One tech leader says Ben Franklin would be just as confused by podcastingYahoo · Nov 3, 2026
- Dakkota workers denounce Detroit plant closure: “They don’t care about us”World Socialist Web Site · Oct 26, 2026
- Dakota Integrated Systems WARN Act Investigationstraussborrelli.com · Oct 22, 2026
- America's largest automaker tempers its electric ambitions with plant closure in MichiganCarBuzz on MSN · Oct 22, 2026
- Dakkota to Close Detroit Plant, Cut 397 JobsPlasticsToday · Oct 20, 2026
- MDOT crews prepare to remove pavement in area of Telegraph Road sinkhole in TaylorCBS News on MSN · Oct 6, 2026
- Over 640 workers to be laid off in Wayne CountyThe Detroit News on MSN · Sep 29, 2026
Learn and get funded in Wayne 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.
Wayne County layoffs
14
Layoff notices, last 12 months
3,764
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
14
employers
Employers hiring most in Wayne 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.
- Ford Motor243 open roles
- Accident Fund31 open roles
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan29 open roles
- Tenneco21 open roles
- Amazon20 open roles
- DTE Energy19 open roles
- BDO USA13 open roles
- Ford13 open roles
- Rivian Automotive13 open roles
- Tenet Healthcare12 open roles
Largest employers headquartered in Wayne County
- Rocket Companiesabout 14,000 employees (2024)
- Ford100,000+ employees
Employee counts with a year are published figures (Wikidata). Other sizes are estimates from our company directory, not payroll counts.
Colleges in Wayne County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne State University | Detroit | Public 4-year | 20,000+ |
| University of Detroit Mercy | Detroit | Private non-profit 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn | Dearborn | Public 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| College for Creative Studies | Detroit | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Madonna University | Livonia | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Ecumenical Theological Seminary | Detroit | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Detroit | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Job fairs and business events in Wayne County
Hiring events, career workshops and business events in and around Wayne County.
- Small-business counselingNov 10, 2026 · Detroit, MI · Free
Chamber: Detroit Regional Chamber · Sponsored by Google
Conferences in Wayne County
Industry conferences and trade shows held in Wayne County. 14 with dates announced.
- Fortune 500 Innovation Forum
Nov 16 to Nov 17, 2026 · Detroit, MI
By invitation only. Price not published; Participation at Fortune meetings is by invitation only (per Fortune conferences page).
- Civic and Community Engagement Summit
Nov 17, 2026 · Detroit, MI
Paid ticket. Price not listed; registration by Cvent.
- Detroit Auto Show
Jan 14 to Jan 24, 2027 · Detroit, MI
Free expo, paid sessions. Industry Day Jan 14, Charity Preview Jan 15, public show Jan 16-24; ticket prices not on the home page.
- RAPID + TCT
Apr 12 to Apr 15, 2027 · Detroit, MI
Paid ticket. Conference April 12-15, exhibits April 13-15; pricing not on the home page.
Open call for speakers
- Main Street Now Conference
May 3 to May 5, 2027 · Detroit, MI
Ticket $509 to $899. Early bird to Feb 9: $509 member / $609 non-member; regular $729 / $829; on-site $699 / $899. Registration…
Open call for speakers · deadline Sep 3, 2026
- NFMA Annual Conference
May 11 to May 14, 2027 · Detroit, MI
Paid ticket, price not listed
- AutoSens USA
May 18 to May 20, 2027 · Detroit, MI
Paid ticket. Pass prices on the Book Pass page; not shown on the home page.
Open call for speakers
- CAR Management Briefing Seminars
May 24 to May 26, 2027 · Plymouth, MI
Paid ticket. Registration opens early 2027; prices not yet posted.
- Siemens Realize LIVE Americas
Jun 7 to Jun 10, 2027 · Detroit, MI
Paid ticket. Pricing page exists; not captured.
- SER Annual Meeting (Society for Epidemiologic Research)
Jun 15 to Jun 18, 2027 · Detroit, MI
Ticket $350 to $850. Student/postdoc $350-400, early-career $500-550, member $650-700, non-member $800-850; early rates before…
Open call for speakers
- CCJ/COSCA Annual Meeting
Jul 24 to Jul 28, 2027 · Detroit, MI
By invitation only. Invitation-only.
- Public Health Law Conference
Oct 4 to Oct 6, 2027 · Detroit, MI
Paid ticket. 2027 registration not yet open.
Open call for speakers · deadline Nov 27, 2026
Showing 12 of 17 conferences, 14 with dates announced.
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Wayne 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).
- City of Detroit Mayor’s Workforce Development Board
City: City of Detroit
- SEMCA Workforce Development Board
Monroe, Wayne
SEMCA Michigan Works! Dearborn American Job Center
Dearborn · Comprehensive · 313-203-1891
9-5 M-F
Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation
Detroit · Comprehensive · 313-962-9675
Appoingment Only: Mon., Tue,, Wed,, Fri 8am-5pm; Thurs 8am-7pm
SEMCA Michigan Works! Highland Park American Job Center
Highland Park · Comprehensive · 313-826-0299
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
SEMCA Michigan Works! Livonia American Job Center
Livonia · Comprehensive · 734-513-4900
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
SEMCA Michigan Works! Wayne American Job Center
Wayne · Comprehensive · 734-858-4284
Monday - Friday 8am to 5pm
SEMCA Michigan Works! Wyandotte American Job Center
Wyandotte · Comprehensive · 734-362-3466
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Cities in Wayne County
Other Michigan counties
Laid off or looking for work in Wayne 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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