Michigan Unemployment Rate Lower For Not-The-Best Reason — But Still Very Low

Michigan’s unemployment rate declined to 3.8 percent last month. The number of people employed went down by 9,000 in June, while the labor force declined by 29,000. While a decline in the number of people employed would by itself cause the unemployment rate to go up, the shrinkage of the labor force drove the unemployment rate down from 4.2 percent to 3.8 percent.

The lowest-ever Michigan unemployment rate since this data series began in 1976 was 3.2 percent in March, 2000.