State jobless rate falls to 15.1%; employment gains hailed
A labor report released Wednesday in the state of Michigan has reported the first positive employment trend since May of 2007. Although Michigan's unemployment rate is still the highest in the nation, it has remained stable at around 15% for the last several months. This month, it is now revealed, the unemployment rate fell for the first time in almost two years, from 15.3% last month to 15.1%. The good news continued with the report's employment section: Michigan added 39,000 jobs in October, in business services, education, health, and construction. Manufacturing added a few jobs as well, but remains well below its usual high. Governor Granholm has given cautious praise to the report results, saying that while not yet definitive, the improvements are definitely something to be looked at in a positive light. Because employers will wait to be sure that a recovery is underway, real employment gains will likely occur slowly, but the report signaled hope for the struggling state.
See "State jobless rate falls to 15.1%; employment gains hailed", John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press, November 19, 2009