Michigan’s unemployment rate kept moving in the right direction in April, dropping two-tenths of a percentage point to 8.3%. Data released bwey the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget showed that the state’s workforce rose slightly by a net increase of 3,000 workers.
Meanwhile, a monthly survey of employers showed that the number of jobs at major employers rose slightly in April by 5,000 to just under 4 million. April job additions were led by an increase of 6,000 jobs in professional and business services.
“The first four months of 2012 have been positive for Michigan’s labor market,” said Rick Waclawek, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. “Early 2012 has been marked by monthly employment gains and stable labor force levels.”
The state’s improving rate means that Michigan’s jobless level is now just slightly above the nation’s unemployment rate of 8.1% in April.
