GM Strike Doesn’t Affect September Michigan Labor Statistics Yet

The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget says the seasonally un-adjusted jobless rate in September decreased in all 17 of Michigan’s major labor market areas. An interesting conundrum exists, as both employment levels and unemployment were both down in September.

“The state’s regional labor markets reported expected movements in September, including seasonal labor force declines,” said Jason Palmer, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. “September’s payroll employment gains largely reflected seasonal recalls in education-related industries and marked the beginning of the academic year.”

DTMB says "regional unemployment rates ranged from 2.8 to 4.4 percent. Jobless rate declines ranged from 0.3 to 0.9 percentage points, with a median decline of six-tenths of a percentage point. The largest over-the-month rate reduction was recorded in the Upper Peninsula (-0.9 percent). Michigan’s non-seasonal adjusted jobless rate in September was 3.7 percent, four-tenths above the national rate of 3.3 percent."

But the news wasn't all good. DTMB says "since September 2018, unemployment rates rose in 15 Michigan labor market areas. Rate increases ranged from 0.1 to 0.4 percentage points. The largest over-the-year rate increases were recorded in the Battle Creek, Bay City, and Upper Peninsula regions, at 0.4 percentage points each. Monroe was the only region to exhibit a jobless rate decline over the year (-0.2 percentage points), while the Niles-Benton Harbor region remained unchanged since September 2018.

At the same time, "all 83 Michigan counties reported jobless rate declines in September, with a median reduction of six-tenths of a percentage point. Over the year, unemployment rates advanced in 76 counties, declined in three, and remained unchanged in four," according to the the report.