Michigan's jobless rate rises to 8.9 pct in August

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Story Created: Sep 17, 2008 at 3:53 PM EST

Story Updated: Sep 17, 2008 at 3:53 PM EST

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan's unemployment rate rose to 8.9 percent in August, according to a monthly report released Wednesday.

That's up from 8.5 percent in each of the previous three months, which already ranked as worst in the nation. The national jobless rate for August was 6.1 percent.

Michigan has had the nation's highest average annual jobless rate since 2006. The seasonally adjusted August jobless rate is the highest in the state since late 1992.

State officials said that manufacturing jobs declined last month due to continued restructuring within the auto industry.

"Some auto and auto-parts manufacturers extended July retooling layoffs into August," Rick Waclawek, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, said in a statement.

Michigan's jobless rate a year ago was 7.2 percent. But job losses have continued in several areas since.

The state recorded 20,000 fewer manufacturing jobs in August than in July. Michigan has about 40,000 fewer manufacturing jobs than a year ago.

Michigan has about 16,000 construction fewer construction jobs than a year ago. Government, retail trade and finance jobs also have taken a sizable hit.

Education and health services are the only segments to add jobs overall in the past year, according to the report.

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