Michigan’s jobless rate edged up slightly in July to 4.4%. This is the second month in a row the unemployment number has inched up. The big driver of that increase was people joining the labor market.
There were some job losses, mostly in Michigan’s leisure and hospitality sector. But there were also more jobseekers who joined the workforce but are not yet employed.
“It’s not entirely just people joining the labor market, but it is a good sign that the labor market is growing and, in fact, it’s the highest it’s been in a long time,” said Michigan Labor Market Information Director Wayne Rourke.
The July jobs report says Michigan’s workforce grew by roughly 10,000 people in July. The state’s labor force measured 5,063,000 people last month, which is the biggest number since April 2006. Rourke said that should be good news for employers who are looking to fill positions.
The government sector, which includes road building and many other public infrastructure jobs, grew by 18,000 positions compared to the same time last year, followed by the private education and health services sector, which grew by 17,000 jobs.
Rourke said construction employment showed the strongest jobs gains over the previous 12 months, growing by 7.4%.
