| May 18,
2005 - Total employment in Michigan jumped by
34,000 in April, however Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate
changed little over the month -- edging upward by one-tenth of a percentage
point to 7.0 percent, according to data released by the Michigan Department
of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG). Unemployment rose by 7,000, as the state
labor force expanded. Michigan’s April 2005 jobless rate was up by
three-tenths of a percentage point from the April 2004 rate of 6.7 percent.
“Michigan’s labor force has grown in 2005,” said
Richard H. Waclawek, director of DLEG’s Bureau of Labor Market Information
and Strategic Initiatives. “This expansion has taken place steadily since
2003, and was largely the reason for the April jobless rate change.”
Monthly Labor
Force Trends & Highlights
- Michigan’s April total employment level of
4,780,000 was the highest monthly tally recorded for the state since
November 2001. The state’s monthly employment levels have trended upward
since early 2003.
- The state’s jobless rate has been in the 7.0
percent range for a little over two years.
- Total statewide
employment increased by 55,000 or 1.2 percent over the year, which was
somewhat less than the 1.8 percent gain nationally in the same period.
- Michigan’s
unemployment level of 361,000 in April was essentially the same as
recorded annually in both 2004 and 2003.
- The jobless rate
nationally was 5.2 percent.
Note: Beginning with the data released for
2005, changes in the methodology for producing state labor force estimates
were implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, in cooperation with all states. All statewide monthly
historical data for 1976-2004 was replaced with a re-estimated series. One
of the improvements of the upgraded process is that over-the-year changes
now will be more directly comparable than what was possible with the
previous methodology. Information on the redesign is available from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site at
www.bls.gov/lau/lauschanges2005.htm, or contact DLEG’s Office of Labor
Market Information at 313-456-3090.
MICHIGAN
Labor Force Estimates
Seasonally
Adjusted
(Data in Thousands)
|
|
April
2004 |
March 2005* |
April 2005** |
Change |
Change |
|
|
|
|
|
Month |
Year |
|
Civilian Labor Force |
5,062 |
5,099 |
5,141 |
42 |
79 |
|
Employment |
4,725 |
4,746 |
4,780 |
34 |
55 |
|
Unemployment |
337 |
354 |
361 |
7 |
24 |
|
Rate (Percent) |
6.7 |
6.9 |
7.0 |
xxx |
xxx |
* Final estimates for
March
** Preliminary estimates for April
Detroit Metropolitan Area’s April Jobless Rate Up Slightly
|
