Unemployment Down Slightly in December in Michigan

Michigan's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate went down a tenth of a percentage point, to 4 to 3.9% in December, according to figures released Thursday by Michigan's Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

DTMB said "total employment advanced by 6,000 over the month, while unemployment fell by the same number, resulting in no change in the state’s workforce total over the month."

Comparing numbers year to year, DTMB says "the Michigan jobless rate in December was a tenth of a percentage point below the December 2018 rate of 4.0 percent. The U.S. jobless rate fell by four-tenths of a percentage point during the same period. Michigan’s December unemployment rate was four-tenths above the national rate of 3.5 percent."

One of the highlight of the report is that the state's annual jobless rate is down for the 10th straight year, and payroll employment is up for the 9th year in a row.

Some more date from DTMB:

• Total employment rose for the third consecutive month in December. Employment was at its highest level since October 2001.
• The number of unemployed residents fell by 6,000 over the month, or 3.0 percent, a larger decline than the 1.0 percent reduction in the U.S.
• Michigan’s fourth quarter 2019 employment level expanded by 8,000.
• Between the third and fourth quarter of 2019, the state’s unemployment rate fell by two-tenths of a percentage point to 4.0 percent.