COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Michigan’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.3 percent in July, the lowest number since August 2001 and it’s now the same as the national jobless rate. It could be an indicator for Branch County’s unemployment figure to slip a bit more when the local rate for last month is released next week. In June, Branch County had a 5.2% jobless rate.
It’s not all good news. The report reveals fewer people looking for work rather than actually landing jobs. Michigan’s workforce decreased by 12,000 in July while the number of people employed remained steady. That explains the slight decline from 5.5 to 5.3 percent. Year to year, this July’s rate was 1.7% lower than 12 months ago.
