Layoffs Stay Low, but Michigan and Ohio Factories Are Shedding Workers (Oct. 23, 2026)
Every Thursday morning the U.S. Department of Labor reports how many people filed new unemployment claims the week before. It's the fastest read we get on layoffs. Yesterday's report, released October 22, 2026, shows a national job market where very few people are being let go, along with a pocket of factory layoffs right here in Michigan and Ohio.
The national numbers
From the Department of Labor's Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims report (opens in a new tab) (seasonally adjusted):
| Measure | Latest | Week before | A year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| New (initial) claims, week ending Oct. 17 | 194,000 | 200,000 | 231,000 |
| 4-week average of new claims | 197,750 | 198,750 | 227,750 |
| Continuing claims, week ending Oct. 10 | 1,728,000 | 1,703,000 | 1,947,000 |
| Insured unemployment rate | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
New claims of 194,000 are the lowest since mid-July and about 37,000 fewer than the same week last year. The four-week average has drifted down from the 220,000s in June to under 198,000. Put simply, U.S. employers are holding on to their people.
Continuing claims, the number of people still collecting benefits, ticked up by 25,000 to about 1.73 million, but that is still about 219,000 below a year ago. That lines up with the September BLS jobs report (opens in a new tab), where unemployment held at 4.2 percent and payrolls grew by just 29,000. Companies aren't laying off many workers, and they aren't adding many either.
Closer to home: factory layoffs in Michigan and Ohio
The national picture is calm, but the state detail in the same report shows layoffs in our region. For the week ending October 10, states reported these increases in new claims, with their own explanations:
| State | Increase in new claims | Reason the state gave |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | +3,918 | Layoffs in manufacturing |
| Tennessee | +3,477 | Layoffs in educational services and manufacturing |
| Pennsylvania | +1,954 | Layoffs in administrative and support, professional and technical services, and health care |
| Texas | +1,721 | Layoffs in transportation and warehousing, food service and information |
| Michigan | +1,195 | Layoffs in manufacturing |
Michigan's early count for the following week, ending October 17, rose again to 7,600 new claims, up 1,988 from the week before, even as the national total fell. Ohio's count dropped back to 4,134. These are unadjusted, preliminary state figures, so one week doesn't make a trend, but it's worth watching.
What this means for employers
- Experienced manufacturing workers are on the market. When plants in Michigan and Ohio cut shifts, skilled machine operators, assemblers and quality inspectors start looking. If you've struggled to fill production roles, now is a good time to move.
- Elsewhere, good workers are staying put. With layoffs near a one-year low nationally, most strong candidates already have jobs. You usually have to go find them, because they won't apply to a job post.
- Screen carefully, then move fast. A wave of applicants after a layoff can bury your HR team. A staffing partner can sort the reliable people from the rest and get them to your door quickly.
- Use temp-to-hire to stay flexible. If you're unsure about demand heading into 2027, temp-to-hire gets help on the floor now without a long-term commitment.
BLS releases September jobless numbers for metro areas, including Monroe and Detroit, on October 28, and September JOLTS job openings data on November 3. The October jobs report is due November 6. We'll keep tracking them here.
Let us fill your open seats
Aggressive Hiring Group is a woman-owned, family-run staffing agency in Monroe, MI, placing workers for employers nationwide for 12 years. We keep a network of pre-screened industrial, warehouse, logistics, office and technical candidates ready to go, and every one goes through our screening process, including background and reference checks and 10-panel drug screening. If you need people, call us at 734.785.8968, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, or request staff online.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report (released Oct. 22, 2026, USDL 26-1613-NAT); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation — September 2026 (released Oct. 2, 2026).