Posted on 04/24/2009 10:42:23 AM PDT by mombyprofession
Ionia County's unemployment rate for March skyrocketed to its highest level since modern statistics began in 1990.
Figures released Thursday by the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth (DELEG) show the county's jobless rate hit 14.4 percent, which is the highest since the state and federal governments began using their current survey method in 1990 and nearly double the March 2008 rate of 7.6 percent.
Ionia County registered an unemployment rate of 18.6 percent in March 1985 but that figure cannot be compared equally to current statistics since it calculated with an outdated formula, according to Tom Krolik, an economist with the U.S. Department of Labor's Local Area Unemployment Statistics Office in Washington, D.C.
Montcalm County's unemployment rate was worse at 16.9 percent, which is the highest since reaching 18.6 percent in March 1990 and 5.6 percent over the March 2008 rate of 11.3 percent.
DELEG Regional Analyst Jason Palmer in Grand Rapids said the higher rates appear to have been caused by a small increase of people seeking jobs and an increase in the number of people that are unemployed.
Palmer said more people typically enter the labor force in May and June when schools let out. If economic conditions stay the same, he expects that will drive up the unemployment rate even higher then.
"More people in the workforce looking for the same number of jobs will only drive the rate up," Palmer said. "Since the rate is based on a ratio of the number of people in the workforce vs. the number of people unemployed, that's what happens."
Rick Waclawek, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information & Strategic Initiatives, said the state's unemployment picture generally improves in the spring when employers begin hiring seasonal workers.
"However this March, these gains were essentially absent," he said.
Michigan continues to lead the United States with a statewide unemployment average of 13.4 percent. Unemployment rates increased in all of the state's 83 counties from February to March.
More layoffs in the manufacturing and professional business services industries contributed to the higher unemployment. Palmer said these job losses reflected layoffs at various manufacturing facilities and job cuts among area staffing firms.
Worker recalls in private education, health services and government helped offset the manufacturing and business services layoffs.
For the long term, Palmer pointed out employment forecasts through 2016 show steady growth in several occupational sectors. He said the national unemployment rate is a better gauge of where the state's jobless rates will head, however.
"The national rate has been going up and Michigan is in step with that," Palmer said. "When the U.S. economy starts to recover that is when we need keep track of our economy and look for some growth."
:)
And the scariest part of this, what everyone should be afraid of, is that people from other countries are coming here and buying the houses for pennies. Guess who goes into those homes?
Hint, they are not Amish.
Will MI have to file Chapter 9 Bankruptcy.
MI can buy all the commercial time on the air and show golf courses and beg for business, MI is defacto bankrupt now.
Michigan is like California without the scenery and weather. Now that GM is killing the Pontiac, dig up the original Pontiac and give him back the state.
Is it Mayor Nagin looking for his lost New Orleans voters?
LOL!!!
Western MI is where all the snooty libs are. I can’t stand it over there. Michael Moore lives in Traverse City.
Thumb area and UP are the nice people.
“Only if you handle a town full of dutchmen and no place to dance. “
I’d much rather have that than Detroit.
Sorry if I offended you. My anger is with the UAW.
Oh no! You didn’t offend me at all!
I’m pretty ticked at them too. IMO, they caused this.
I’d rather see the Cavs play. I want to go home.
Hubby lost his job last week, via email, no less. Computer technology/help desk type work. Thanks Dems for voting Jenny in and keeping her. We’re sure blown away....
I thought it was pretty Christian and conservative. I was in Grand Rapids once for 2 days. I flew in Sunday and things were closed for religious reasons. The people in GR were very nice.
Some of it is. Grand Rapids is actually pretty liberal as a whole. They are like blossoming lib.
However, the entire middle of the state is conservative. Take off the coasts, leave the thumb and you have Oklahoma in voting.
serves people right in Minn and Mich when when they support the worthless idiots for public office....
Are you looking for a job?
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Sorry about your predicament. Funny thing, here in Texas, Jeff Daniels is in a commercial about how business are moving to Michigan and why it is a good idea to do so. Makes it look like the economy in MI is going great guns. HELLO, who the hell would leave here to go there? I have several Michiganders for neighbors. Great people. I can honestly say they are not going back. Already planning on which Texas college to send their kids. Best of luck to you. God does answer prayers, just in his time.
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