Michigan's unemployment rate remained unchanged in April at 5.5% after increasing for three consecutive months, according to data released May 15 by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
The state's jobless rate has increased by 1.1 percentage points since April 2024 when the unemployment rate was 4.4%.
At a national level, the unemployment rate also remained stable in April at 4.2%.
In Michigan, payroll jobs rose by 11,000, or 0.2%, in April, according to a monthly survey of employers, DTMB said. Most of the month’s employment increase was due to job additions within the private education and health services sector.
Manufacturing employment rose by 2,000 in April but remained down 11,000 jobs when compared with the same month a year ago.
While April's unemployment rate remained steady compared with March, there are recent signs that the state's jobless rate could increase in the coming months.
More on Michigan's economy: Inflation is slowing. Wages are up. So why does life feel costly for many Michiganders?
More unemployment news: New claims for jobless benefits in Michigan surge sharply
New weekly claims for unemployment insurance have remained at elevated levels in recent months compared with the last few years, spiking in the week ending May 3 to more than 12,000 claims. New claims in the state dropped back down to more normal but still elevated levels of 6,347 claims in the week ending May 10, the U.S. Department of Labor said on May 15.
Meanwhile, several companies with employees in Michigan have filed WARN Act notices with the state in recent months, a notice that employers must give to employees and local government officials before they execute a mass layoff or close an employment site.
General Motors, for example, said in April that it would lay off 200 employees at its Factory Zero in Detroit and Hamtramck.
Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan's unemployment rate remains unchanged in April