by Bruce Walker
Although the U.S. economy added 4.8 million jobs in the month of June, the number of unemployed workers in Michigan continues to rise.
Michigan ranks seventh in the nation for total number of unemployment claims.
According to U.S. Department of Labor data, Michigan added 37,312 unemployment claims in the week ending June 27. That bumps the number of new unemployment claims 17,671 above the previous week’s 19,641 new claims and brings the number of unemployed in the state to 595,627, up 11.2 from the previous week.
It’s a number that will more than likely increase once the effects of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order to once again prohibit indoor service in bars in all but two of the state’s eight regions are felt. Whitmer issued the order Wednesday.
Only California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas posted higher unemployment numbers than Michigan, at, respectively, 2.9 million; 1.05 million; 676,328; 1.6 million; 814,330; and 1.3 million.
New unemployment claims in the nation dropped by 55,000 to 1,427,000 new claims from the previous week. The Department of Labor reports the total number of national unemployment claims is slightly below 18 million claims.
All told, the U.S. economy added 4.8 million jobs in June, dropping the national unemployment rate to 11.1 percent.
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Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square. He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute’s InfoTech & Telecom News.
