Michigan’s unemployment rate increases

Michigan’s unemployment raise rose slightly in July to 7.7%, according to the Department of Technology, Management & Budget.  In June, the unemployment rate was 7.5%. The state’s labor force was unchanged over the month

The unemployment rate in the state is over one percentage point lower than the July 2013 unemployment rate of 9.0%.

Payroll jobs in the state are now the highest levels since summer 2008.  Payroll jobs have increased for the past three months, averaging 18,000 per month.  Major industry sectors, such as leisure and hospitality services (+4,000), manufacturing (+4,000), education and health services (+4,000), and trade, transportation and utilities (+3,000), saw the highest gains for the month.

The unemployment rate is still one and a half percentage points above the national rate of 6.2%.