Actions

Michigan sees drop in unemployment rate; still 2nd-highest in the country

Michigan sees drop in unemployment rate; still 2nd-highest in the country
Posted at 8:55 AM, May 21, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-21 10:04:06-04

Michigan saw a decrease in its unemployment rate as more people go back to work, but the state still has the second-highest unemployment rate in the country.

New numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor found that Michigan's unemployment rate dropped to 22.6% last week, which was down from 23.1% two weeks ago.

On top of that, there were 54,460 initial unemployment claims filed last week in Michigan, down 706 from the week before.

In all, there are just over 950,000 people in Michigan who have filed for unemployment, down from nearly 1.1 million three weeks ago.

The state also reported fewer layoffs in the manufacturing, healthcare and social assitance industries.

2.4 million people filed initial claims for unemployment for the week ending May 16. That brings a nine-week total — dating back to when states began closing non-essential businesses amid the pandemic — to 38 million initial claims for unemployment.

Additional Coronavirus information and resources:

Read our daily Coronavirus Live Blog for the latest updates and news on coronavirus.

Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.

View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.

Find out how you can help metro Detroit restaurants struggling during the pandemic.

See all of our Helping Each Other stories.

See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.