Unemployment Rate Declines Again

Lansing – Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in April edged downward over the month by two-tenths of a percentage point to 8.3 percent, according to data released today by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB). Total employment rose by 11,000 in April, as the number of unemployed decreased by 8,000. The state’s workforce was little changed over the month (+3,000).

The Michigan jobless rate in April 2012 was over two percentage points below the state’s April 2011 rate of 10.5 percent. The national jobless rate decreased by nine-tenths of a percentage point over this period. The state’s unemployment rate in April was slightly above the national rate of 8.1 percent.

“The first four months of 2012 have been positive for Michigan’s labor market,” said Rick Waclawek, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. “Early 2012 has been marked by monthly employment gains and stable labor force levels.”

Michigan’s April 2012 jobless rate was the lowest for the state since the 8.2 percent rate recorded in July 2008. Michigan’s total employment level has advanced by 91,000 or 2.2 percent since April 2011. Employment gains in the first four months of 2012 have accounted for the majority of this increase.