by Bruce Walker
Michigan’s new unemployment claims dropped last week by 5,855 from the week ending Dec. 5, according to Department of Labor statistics released Thursday morning.
Unemployment claims in the state continue to drop despite the ongoing prohibitions of indoor gatherings imposed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Initial claims filed the week ending Dec. 12 were 17,553, down 25% from the previous week’s 23,408 initial claims.
Total unemployment claims in Michigan for the week ending Dec. 12 were 171,290 claims, down 40,247 claims from the previous week’s 211,537 claims, a 21% decrease.
Nationwide, the DOL reported 885,000 new unemployment claims last week, which is the highest weekly total since September, compared to 862,000 new claims for the week ending Dec. 5. By comparison, the average weekly unemployment claims prior to the pandemic hovered at 225,000.
At present, 20.6 million U.S. workers are receiving some form of unemployment benefits.
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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.
