Washtenaw County unemployment rate rises in December
Washtenaw County's unemployment rate rose from 5.1 percent in November to 5.5 percent in December, according to statistics released today by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
The number of jobs based in Washtenaw rose by 500 jobs from November to December, but the percentage of county residents with a job fell.
The number of employed county residents dropped by 1,900, while the number of unemployed residents seeking a job dropped by 600.
Retailers, professional and business services companies and local public universities added jobs from November to December, but seasonal declines in jobs at public schools contributed to an uptick in the unemployment rate.
Washtenaw had 1,400 more jobs in December than it had in December 2010.
The county's unemployment rate averaged 6.6 percent in 2011, down from 8.1 percent.
Michigan's unemployment rate fell to 9.3 percent in December, the lowest it's been in more than three years.
Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.
Comments
Lets Get Real
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 6:04 p.m.
This is so deceiving. The jobs that are available are low paying wage jobs. So many people are under-employed. MS working as a security guard, PhD waiting tables, BS working hospitality cleaning rooms and doing laundry. So what are the people doing who would normally be doing those jobs - welfare and food stamps? It is the spin to relect Obama. Why do you think he is coming here to speak? Because the unemployment number is low, deceptively implying that things are good and getting better. HA!
dereklewin
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 10:58 a.m.
Unemployment in construction is 21.2%, I wish these guys would tell the truth. We all need to education ourself in this tough market only way is a degree or change your career.. search online for High Speed Universities for career advice