Michigan joblessness drops 0.2 points to 8.8 percent

LANSING (AP) -- Michigan's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has fallen 0.2 percentage points to 8.8 percent, still well above the national rate. The state Department of Technology, Management & Budget announced the November job figure Wednesday, saying the drop followed three months when the jobless rate remained steady at 9 percent. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell 0.3 percentage points in November to 7 percent. The state says Michigan's jobless rate remains unchanged from November 2012. The state agency says Michigan seasonally adjusted civilian workforce fell by 17,000 in the latest month to 4.707 million. It says the number of people working also fell by 7,000 to 4.294 million. The state says total employment in Michigan is up by 69,000 since November 2012. Published: Fri, Dec 20, 2013