Skip to content

Checked

Saginaw County, MI Economy

Unemployment was 5.8% in Aug 2026 and jobs paid $60,997 a year on average.

Unemployment rate
5.8%
-0.4 pts in a year
Labor force
80,363
-6.8% in a year
Income per person
$52,699
41st of 83 in MI
Average annual pay
$60,997
80,210 jobs, 2025

Unemployment rate in Saginaw County

Monthly. County rates are not seasonally adjusted, so they rise and fall with the seasons.

Saginaw CountyMichigan (seasonally adjusted)
Show as a table
PeriodSaginaw County
Aug 20265.8%
Dec 20255.9%
Dec 20246.2%
Dec 20234.7%
Dec 20225.0%
Dec 20214.9%
Dec 20207.5%
Dec 20194.1%
Dec 20184.4%
Dec 20175.0%
Dec 20164.9%
Dec 20154.7%
Dec 20145.9%
Dec 20137.7%
Dec 20128.8%

Jobs and pay by industry

Private employers in Saginaw County, annual average 2025. Industries with too few employers to publish are left out.

Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.

IndustryJobs1-year changeAverage pay
Health care and social assistance14,868+1.6%$67,599
Manufacturing10,964+2.2%$87,092
Retail trade10,8440.0%$39,010
Accommodation and food services8,280+2.8%$23,728
Administrative and support services5,023-3.7%$44,775
Construction3,365+0.4%$83,288
Finance and insurance2,920+1.8%$85,617
Professional and technical services2,776+10.0%$81,071
Wholesale trade2,501+4.8%$74,852
Other services2,342-7.8%$39,773
Arts, entertainment and recreation776+9.0%$20,931
Real estate and rental613-0.2%$46,023
Information513-25.3%$76,419
Educational services436-0.7%$38,471
Management of companies226-16.0%$130,052

Latest quarter (Q1 2026): 79,480 jobs (+1.0% from a year earlier), average weekly wage $1,200.

Income and output

Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

Total personal income
$9.89B
+3.7% in a year
Income per person
$52,699
MI: $63,690
GDP
$11.01B
Current dollars
Real GDP growth
-1.0%
Adjusted for inflation
Saginaw CountyMichigan
Show as a table
PeriodSaginaw County
2024$52,699
2023$50,789
2022$48,072
2021$49,032
2020$45,641
2019$40,848
2018$39,519
2017$37,042
2016$36,312
2015$35,382
2014$33,796
2013$32,924
2012$32,229
2011$31,900
2010$30,545

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts

Businesses by industry, trucking companies, banks and bankruptcies in Saginaw County.

Business profile

Businesses in Saginaw County

County Business Patterns 2023 and Nonemployer Statistics 2024

Employer businesses
4,092
Employees
77,361
Mid-March
Annual payroll
$4.13B
Self-employed businesses
12,027
$548M receipts

By industry

  • Retail trade74918.3%
  • Health care and social assistance62315.2%
  • Other services45711.2%
  • Accommodation and food services42210.3%
  • Construction3488.5%
  • Professional and technical services2897.1%
  • Finance and insurance2275.5%
  • Administrative and support services1884.6%

By number of employees

  • 1 to 41,81544.4%
  • 5 to 987121.3%
  • 10 to 1966516.3%
  • 20 to 4949012.0%
  • 50 to 991533.7%
  • 100 to 249671.6%
  • 250 to 499220.5%
  • 500 to 99900.0%
  • 1,000 or more70.2%

Neighboring counties

Unemployment rate, Aug 2026

CountyRate1 year
Midland County4.8%+0.1 pts
Shiawassee County4.8%-0.5 pts
Gratiot County5.3%+0.1 pts
Bay County5.4%-0.3 pts
Tuscola County5.6%-0.9 pts
Saginaw CountyThis county5.8%-0.4 pts
Genesee County5.8%-0.5 pts

Federal money in Saginaw County

Federal awards, pandemic loans and political donations

Frequently asked questions

What is the unemployment rate in Saginaw County, MI?
The unemployment rate in Saginaw County was 5.8% in Aug 2026, not seasonally adjusted, with 80,363 people in the labor force.
What is the average salary in Saginaw County?
Jobs in Saginaw County paid an average of $60,997 in 2025 ($1,173 a week), across 80,210 jobs covered by unemployment insurance.
What are the biggest industries in Saginaw County?
The largest private industries by jobs are health care and social assistance (14,868), manufacturing (10,964), retail trade (10,844).
What is the income per person in Saginaw County?
Personal income per person was $52,699 in 2024, compared with $63,690 for Michigan. It counts wages, business income, investment income and government benefits.
How many businesses are in Saginaw County?
Saginaw County had 4,092 business establishments with paid employees in 2023, plus 12,027 businesses with no employees.