Michigan Jobless Rate Down 0.4 Points To 12.4%
Michigan's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell four-tenths of a percentage point to 12.4 percent in November, mainly because there are fewer workers in the state, Michigan's labor agency announced Wednesday.
Michigan's jobless rate fell even as the national rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 9.8 percent, the Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth said.
"Michigan's jobless rate fell in November without a significant increase in employment levels,'' said Rick Waclawek, director of the department's Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. ``Instead, the jobless rate drop was primarily due to fewer state residents in the labor force seeking jobs.''
Michigan's November rate is two percentage points below the 14.4 percent level of November 2009. The state's unemployment rate has fallen for three straight months.
Total employment has been fairly flat since August. There were 4.8 million people in Michigan's civilian work force in November, with 4.2 million employed and 597,000 out of work but seeking jobs.
"Although unemployment has declined in Michigan throughout 2010, the state's labor force has also decreased,'' the department said in a statement."From a 2010 peak in May, Michigan has recorded six consecutive monthly labor force reductions.''
With two reporting months remaining in 2010, Michigan's average seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 13.4 percent, compared with 13.6 percent for 2009.
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