Number of jobless Michigan workers falls below half a million, state reports
The number of unemployed Michigan workers slipped below 500,000 in February for the first time in more than three years, according to statistics released today by state officials.
"Total unemployment" in the state fell from 508,000 in January to 495,000 in February, according to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, which is soon to be renamed Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
It marks the first time the number of unemployed workers in Michigan has been below half a million since November 2008, when it was 490,000. That figure hit a high of 681,000 in August 2009, a few months after the bankruptcy filings of General Motors and Chrysler.
The state's unemployment rate was 10.4 percent in February, down from 10.7 percent in January and 13.5 percent in February 2010.
“Michigan’s labor market situation was stable in February,” said Rick Waclawek, director of DELEG’s Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, in a statement.
The job market is still far from flourishing. The state lost 3,000 net nonfarm payroll jobs from January to February, as the manufacturing sector shed 7,000 jobs, the government sector cut 6,000 and the hospitality services industry cut 3,000. However, the professional and business services sector surged, adding 13,000 jobs.
The national unemployment rate in February was 8.9 percent. In January, Washtenaw County's unemployment rate was 6.9 percent, up from 6.6 percent in December.
University of Michigan economists recently projected that Washtenaw would add 8,840 jobs from 2011 through 2013 as the region’s unemployment rate declines from an average of 8.6 percent in 2010 to 7.2 percent in 2011, 7.0 percent in 2012 and 6.7 percent in 2013.
Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.
Comments
DonBee
Fri, Mar 25, 2011 : 1:48 a.m.
Lets see - 13,000 new jobs and 19,000 jobs lost. Then the official unemployment numbers go down. Great indicator!
Awakened
Fri, Mar 25, 2011 : 1:20 p.m.
That just means more than 6000 gave up, left, or retired. In any case, all taxes are paid by those who earn. Less earners, less tax base.
macjont
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 5:17 p.m.
grye asks, "Please lay out a plan that we can all review." OK, will do. A federal government stimulus that measures up to the term. Not a stool softener to address severe constipation, but a good course of laxatives. We know that sufficient government stimulus will end a depression. Check out WWII. Let's try it without war and use it to build rather than to destroy.
xmo
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 3:06 p.m.
"Total unemployment" in the state fell from 508,000 in January to 495,000 in February," I think a better number would be: How many more people are employed and paying taxes in Michigan! The number above does not count people who left the state, retired, died or gave up looking for jobs because their unemployment benefits ran out. With insights like this maybe I should be a writer for annarbor.com?
Awakened
Fri, Mar 25, 2011 : 1:19 p.m.
And as one of the retired I am considering moving to a state that has no income tax if they start taxing mine. I know a number of "snow birds" who will just not come back next summer and change their residence to Florida. When your house is paid off anything you get for it is profit, and even abandoning it is a reduction in taxes.
grye
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 2:39 p.m.
I'm not sure that anything that Snyder has done up to now has helped to decrease the unemployment numbers. How ever he is making an attempt to help businesses grow which will employ more people. but there are many of you out there that firmly believe that businesses should pay higher taxes. So I ask you as I have asked before, what do you think should be done to help expand the economy and create new jobs? Please lay out a plan that we can all review.
grye
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 3:02 p.m.
Dennis: I didn't ask if you thought his plan was or would work. I would like to see if anyone has any idea how to grow the economy to improve employment. Businesses need to expand to create more jobs. Policies need to be set to help this along. Govt can't mandate the jobs and if your intent is to tax businesses and wealthy people and then use the money to create more jobs in the public sector, that is not a long term fix. So please tell me your plan.
Dennis
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 2:50 p.m.
The problem is, as you can see in my post, that the things he is trying have been tried before and they didn't work. Don't take my word for it go read up on the "Great Depression". Then take a look at what Reagan did. The big 3 are classic examples. They are making huge profits and they are doing it on the backs of their employees. Both unionized and salaried. They haven't added one job that the union did force them to add. The point in case is the recent announcement by Chrysler that they were calling back 2000 laidoff workers. The only reason is that the union contract won't allow them to add the lower paid workers until they do.
Dennis
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 1:49 p.m.
Sure Michigan Unemployment is Down in Michigan. All you have to do is look at the census to see where they went…..THEY LEFT THE STATE ! I'm glad we're satisfied with only a half a million unemployed workers in Michigan. Do you need to wonder where the tax base is? They say the "History Repeats Itself". It does! One only need to look at the "Great Depression" of the 30's to see that Snyder's budget tricks will not work. A Republican controlled government, Wall Street running unchecked, Banks Failing, Soup Kitchens, Home Foreclosures, Unemployment, and Homeless Families. Sound familiar? Again, we're facing Republican control, we are suffering what could be called the "Second Great Depression". Wall Street is again out of control, Banks have been in serious trouble, we have record Home Foreclosures, High Unemployment, Soup Kitchens, etc.. The super-rich continue to get richer while the "average joe" continues to struggle to keep their homes, feed their families, and find work. "In 1936, main economic indicators (except unemployment) regained the levels of the late 1920s...but after the federal government cut spending with the expectation that the private sector would step in, the economy took another sharp downturn until WWII." Sound Familiar? Unions gained popularity and the working class started to make gains. "Causes of the Great Depression are widely debated but typically include a weak banking system, overproduction, bursting credit bubble, the fact that farmers and industrial workers had not shared in the prosperity of the 1920s, and a government-held laissez faire policy" Now we attack the unions and want to take away the rights that they have gained over the years. Is it better to knock a person down or raise yourself up? I guess "if you don't want to be disappointed lower your expectations".
local
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 3:16 p.m.
thank you for reinforcing an earlier post!
stvnm160
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 1:06 p.m.
Simmerdownnow and Roger Roth, What planet are you from? how you could suggest giving slider the credit for this is unbelievable.
Veracity
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 1:05 p.m.
Rick Snyder's effort to increase employment involves giving money to SPARK and MEDC which will encourage small entrepreneurial companies to be formed. These highly specialized firms will require well-educated employees and many with special skills. Even so, if this effort is as successful as Rick Snyder's last ten years as a venture capitalist then we can expect another 4000 jobs created...over the next decade. Someone please tell me what Governor Snyder's big plan is to create jobs for the 495,000 unemployed (only those still receiving unemployment insurance)? Most of the unemployed are under-educated and under-skilled for the jobs that Governor Snyder wishes to create.
KJMClark
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 12:08 p.m.
Chris makes the most important point. Nathan, "number of unemployed Michigan workers" and "number of jobless Michigan workers" are very different things. We define unemployed in this context as people without a job who are actively looking for work. When people give up, they are no longer "unemployed", even though they are jobless. Besides that, how does DELEG determine who's unemployed? The census takes actual surveys. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that DELEG is just counting unemployment benefits claims. In which case the people who've run out of unemployment benefits are now no longer "unemployed", even though they are still looking and haven't found a job. So losing 3000 jobs a month is now considered stable?
Roger Roth
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 11:09 a.m.
Don't you have to be skeptical of numbers coming out of governments? Like, of course there are going to be fewer Iraqis killed this month than last because there are fewer alive to kill or so many of the living have left the country as war refugees. MI's population has dropped significantly. Aren't unemployment rates per 1000 population? What about those who have quit looking for work? Are they counted? How many of those now considered "employed" are working at or below minimum wage just to buy food? As a service to the truth, the government should be required to state the percentage of workers employed in poverty-level or below jobs in their employment figures--so we really see the results or what Ronnie Reagan, erstwhile union man, started 30 years ago. As they are stated and used, government published figures are about as useful as those given us on network TV for weekend box office receipts. I doubt many people fall for the spin.
chris banghy
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 1:47 a.m.
I wonder if this not so great news also reflect on all the unemployed workers who can not find a job and can not collect unemployment or any type of benefit so therefore they are not counted in the unemployment numbers . fuzzy math if you ask me. another way for a weak government to make people feel good.
Elijah
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 12:56 a.m.
how can you be a "jobless worker" ... ?
CynicA2
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 12:48 a.m.
With a balmy outlook like this, sounds like someone has been spending too much time Polly Anna and Rosy Scenario, and maybe a certain Mr. Detter.
CynicA2
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 12:40 a.m.
"The state lost 3,000 net nonfarm payroll jobs from January to February, as the manufacturing sector shed 7,000 jobs, the government sector cut 6,000 and the hospitality services industry cut 3,000. However, the professional and business services sector surged, adding 13,000 jobs." So we gained 13,000, and we lost 19,000... right?? And probably another thousand or so just pulled the plug and left the state forever - so how is this good news? Talk about putting pearls on a pig. Oink, oink.
simmerdownnow
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 12:27 a.m.
To all you haters out there, this is just a sign of things to come under Snyder, his policies are already kicking the economy back up and we're going to take this thing to a full recovery. Go Rick!
local
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 3:15 p.m.
Really, or could it be that Michigan's population has declined, thus less unemployed workers. Once again, misleading story.
Roger Roth
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 11:43 p.m.
The truth is, Rick's initiatives are taking hold. Congratulations Rick!!! You're rebuilding MI. I'm switching parties. Ich bin ein Republican! P.S. All my neighbors are moving out of state. I'm trying to get them to stay for the fun but they won't hear of it.
Townie
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 9:24 p.m.
David - the stimulus package was inadequate (at best) right from the beginning so it's not any surprise the recovery was tepid. The policies being pursued by the Republicans won't help (actually just the reverse), but that's their intent so they are 'positioned' just right for the election to blame the folks left to clean up the Bush / 'free market' mess. Snyder's budget will hurt our recovery by again rewarding corporations for hoarding cash and, at the same time, keeping cash out of the hands of those most likely to spend it so there will be low job creation. Making the rich richer and the poor poorer isn't much of a solution. ' Unless, of course, your goal is restoring us to the 1880s and 1890 robber baron days. Which is the goal of the Republicans.
David Briegel
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 8:06 p.m.
The Obama recovery is just getting underway! Steady private sector gains as the govt sheds jobs.