Lansing – Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December declined by half a percentage point to 9.3 percent, according to data released Wednesday (January 18th) by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB). Total employment increased by 13,000 over the month and the number of unemployed fell by 25,000. The state’s workforce declined by 12,000 in December.
The Michigan jobless rate in December 2011 was one and eight-tenths percentage points below the December 2010 rate of 11.1 percent. The national jobless rate decreased by nine-tenths of a percentage points over this period.
“Michigan’s jobless rate fell again in December, as the state added jobs in professional and technical services and manufacturing,” said Rick Waclawek, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. “For 2011 as a whole, the state recorded a significant decline in the unemployment rate and a modest gain in payroll jobs.”
Monthly Labor Force Trends & Highlights
- Michigan’s December jobless rate at 9.3 percent was the lowest for the state since the 8.9 percent rate posted in September 2008.
- December marked the fourth consecutive monthly increase in statewide total employment, along with the fourth monthly decline in the number of unemployed.
- Although employment showed gains over the last several months, Michigan’s labor force continued its downward trend in December, marking the ninth monthly reduction in a row dating back to April. Over that period, the state’s workforce has fallen by 99,000 or 2.1 percent. This also reflects the long-term trend in Michigan, with the state’s workforce decreasing consistently since 2006.
- From the third quarter to the fourth quarter 2011, Michigan’s quarterly jobless rate fell by one and two-tenths percentage points from 11.1 to 9.9 percent.
- From December 2010 to December 2011, the number of unemployed in Michigan decreased by nearly 19 percent. Unemployment declined nationally by 9 percent over the same period.
Source: News release from Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget
