Michigan's jobless rate down half point to 7.8 percent

3/5/2014

LANSING — Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped half a percentage point to 7.8 percent in January. The number of jobless work-seekers fell despite an increase in the labor force.

The state Department of Technology, Management & Budget said today that it’s the lowest jobless rate since May, 2008.

The latest rate is down from 8.3 percent in December and 8.9 percent in January, 2013. The national rate was 6.6 percent in January. Ohio will announce its January unemployment rate on Friday.

The department says Michigan’s civilian labor force grew by 11,000 in January to 4.698 million. It says the number of unemployed people in January stood at 367,000, down 20,000 from December.

The state says 4.331 million people were working in Michigan in January, up from 4.299 million in December.