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Michigan recovers half of jobs lost during coronavirus pandemic

Posted at 7:38 PM, Aug 19, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-19 19:38:05-04

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan has recovered about half of its coronavirus-related job cuts that occurred between March and April.

The state’s unemployment rate last month was 8.7 percent, according to data released Wednesday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.

That’s 1.5 percentage points lower than the national rate.

July payroll jobs rose by 103,000, but that’s still well below the 266,000 jobs added in June.

Payroll employment has increased by about 540,000 over the three-month period between May and July, said Jason Palmer, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives.

Between May and July, the state’s employment level averaged 652,000 below what it was in February.

In the same time period, Michigan’s unemployment level averaged 543,000 above the pre-pandemic level in February.