Michigan unemployment unchanged in December, still above national average
Michigan’s unemployment rate held steady in December, staying at 8.9 percent. Preliminary data from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget indicated that the annual jobless rate was also 8.9 percent, down from 10.3 percent in 2011, MLive reported.
Michigan's unemployment rate in December 2012 was 0.4 percent lower than in December 2011
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
Michigan’s 2012 job gains primarily occurred in the first half of the year, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives.
Michigan’s employment rate grew by 0.7 percent between December 2011 and December 2012. That’s a slower rate than national employment, which grew by 1.7 percent. This is the third straight year Michigan has posted a decline in the annual unemployment rate.
Local area unemployment numbers for december will be available later in January. Ann Arbor's unemployment rate in November was 4.3 percent.
Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2
Comments
Tom Whitaker
Thu, Jan 17, 2013 : 4:49 p.m.
An interesting statistic behind the headlines is that the civilian workforce in Michigan has shrunk by 107,000 people since Mr. Snyder took office. With employment growing at a faster rate nationally, that would imply that many of these people left the state to find work.
leaguebus
Thu, Jan 17, 2013 : 6 a.m.
Lay off a few thousand more teachers and public safety people is a great way to lower the unemployment rate. It has been said that all the teacher/public safety layoffs so far have added 1% to the unemployment rate. It's all about jobs, right Rick?
rosewater
Thu, Jan 17, 2013 : 2:39 a.m.
Don't worry, Rick is in charge! And now with Right to Work..well, we'll all be singing in the rain with all those new jobs it will create.
Bcar
Thu, Jan 17, 2013 : 1:26 a.m.
...but its getting better. wonder how that happened.
David Briegel
Wed, Jan 16, 2013 : 9:59 p.m.
Hey Rick, where's those jobs that you said would be created?
walker101
Thu, Jan 17, 2013 : 1:28 p.m.
Better yet, where's those jobs the President said he was going to get?
johnnya2
Thu, Jan 17, 2013 : 2:39 a.m.
@TBagger, Except the national growth rate is 1.7% and the MICHIGAN rate is .7%. That means the REST of the country seems to be doing better than Michigan. That would mean a policy that is MICHIGAN based is the problem. As I recall the new pension tax replacing the business tax was supposed to bring in all these new businesses and start ups. It has been over a year now.
TB
Wed, Jan 16, 2013 : 10:31 p.m.
Obama lost them all! See, anyone can make baseless claims against politicians they dislike for causing unemployment.