By Associated Press
Undated – Job prospects are brightening in Michigan, one of the hardest-hit states in a struggling economy. The state says the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate is down in 14 of the state's 17 major regional labor markets.
The Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth released the December figures Thursday. It says regional rates ranged from a low of 6.6 percent in the Ann Arbor region to a high of 14.8 percent in Northeastern Lower Michigan.
Over the past year, 16 regions have seen employment grow by around 1 percent or more. Only the Northeastern Lower Michigan region saw total employment drop. All 17 regions have seen their labor forces drop since December 2009 as people have stopped looking for jobs.
Michigan's seasonally adjusted jobless rate for December announced earlier was 11.7 percent, the fourth-highest nationally behind Nevada, California and Florida.
The national rate was 9.4 percent.