by Bruce Walker
Unemployment in Michigan’s 17 labor markets decreased by a median rate reduction of 0.8 percentage points in April compared to April 2022, according to data released Thursday morning by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.
All but one of Michigan’s 83 counties saw a reduction in unemployment rates between March and April. The median decrease was reported by the DTMB as 1.7 percentage points. Year-over-year rate reductions were experienced in 79 counties.
The state’s regional unemployment rates ranged from 2.0% to 6.3%. The Northeast Lower Michigan region witnessed the most significant drop in month-over-month unemployment at -3.1 percentage points. The largest year-over-year unemployment decreases occurred in Detroit and Lansing.
“Labor force increases were seen across most Michigan labor market areas during April,” Wayne Rourke, labor market information director of the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics, said in a statement. “Regional payroll employment levels also advanced over the month.”
Michigan regional unemployment rates ranged from 2.0% to 6.3% during April, with a median over-the-month rate decrease of 1.5 percentage points. The Northeast Lower Michigan region demonstrated the largest over-the-month decline in jobless rate (-3.1 percentage points).
Sixteen of the state’s 17 labor markets experienced increased employment in April. The DTMB Employment in 16 labor markets reported the median increase was 2.8%. Only the Detroit region experienced a drop in employment (-0.3).
Total employment in the state over April 2022, however, was strong. The DTMB reported the median uptick in employment was 3.5% with Ann Arbor ahead of all other 16 regions at +5.6%. Ann Arbor also experienced the state’s largest year-over-year labor force increase of 4.8% while the median increase for the state was 2.6%.
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Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square. He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute’s InfoTech & Telecom News.
