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The average hourly earnings tell us the current rate at which employees are being paid. Earnings may change for a number of reasons, such as, change in output, shortage of labor, or, in the case of the current recession - a decline in the number of low-wage employees from payrolls.

Average Hourly Earnings

The average weekly hours worked by employees tell us how many hours currently employed people are working.  Hours may increase or decrease if firms have to adjust their hours for COVID-19 or if employees need to adjust the amount of time they are working to care for a dependent.

Average Weekly Hours

Continued claims, also referred to as insured unemployment, is the number of people who have already filed an initial claim and who have experienced a week of unemployment and then filed a continued claim to claim benefits for that week of unemployment. Continued claims data are based on the week of unemployment, not the week when the initial claim was filed.

Continued Unemployment Claims in Michigan

Continued Claims in Michigan

Initial unemployment claims give an idea of how many people are filing for unemployment.  An initial claim is a claim filed by an unemployed individual after a separation from an employer. The claim requests a determination of basic eligibility for the Unemployment Insurance program.

Initial Unemployment Claims in Michigan

The insured unemployment rate can provide an early glimpse as to the direction of the conventional unemployment rate.  It is the number of people receiving Continued Claims (also called insured unemployment) divided by Covered Employment.

Insured Unemployment Rate in Michigan

The labor force comprises of people, age 16 and over, who are working or looking for work.  Employed persons have a job, while unemployed persons do not have a job but are actively looking for one.   These figures are important because they not only give the number of people unemployed, but also the size of the total labor force. 

Labor Force Components

The unemployment rate is the percentage of people in the labor force who are without work but looking for a job.  It does not include people who are not looking for a job (e.g., full-time students, people staying home to care for a dependent). See the labor force  components chart for more infomation.

Labor Market