LANSING, MI— Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by three-tenths of a percentage point to 3.8 percent during April, according to data released by the Department of Technology, Management & Budget.
Employment in the state rose by 30,000, while unemployment decreased by 14,000. Michigan’s labor force rose by 18,000 over the month.
“There was a large drop in the number of unemployed people this month in Michigan, causing the state’s unemployment rate to fall,” said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director of the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. “Payroll jobs rose for the sixth consecutive month during April.”
The national unemployment rate fell by one-tenth of a percentage point to 3.4 percent during April. Michigan’s April jobless rate was 0.4 percentage points above the U.S. rate. The national and statewide unemployment rates both demonstrated a rate reduction of two-tenths of a percentage point over the year.
Labor force trends and highlights
- Michigan’s April employment level of 4,682,000 was the largest employment total seen in the state since March 2020 (4,731,000).
- Total unemployment in the state decreased by 7.0 percent over the month, a reduction over twice the unemployment drop seen nationally (-3.1 percent).
- Although Michigan’s April 2023 rate of 3.8 percent matched its February 2020 pre-pandemic rate, the statewide labor force in April 2023 remained 72,000 below its February 2020 level.
- The statewide workforce advanced by 0.5 percent over the year, while the national workforce rose by 1.7 percent since April 2022.
- The April statewide labor force participation rate rose by three-tenths of a percentage point to 60.2 percent over the month, while Michigan’s employment-population ratio increased by 0.3 percentage points to 57.8 percent.
