MI's unemployment rate drops to 14.7 percent

Posted: 12.16.2009 at 4:55 PM

State officials said Wednesday that the November jobless rate dropped to 14.7 percent, down from a national high of 15.1 percent in October. It was the state's lowest rate in six months.

LANSING (AP) -- Michigan's unemployment rate has improved for the second straight month.

State officials said Wednesday that the November jobless rate dropped to 14.7 percent, down from a national high of 15.1 percent in October. It was the state's lowest rate in six months.

The state's jobless rate reached 15.3 percent in September.

But the news isn't all good. The state lost about 14,000 non-farm payroll jobs last month, according to a seasonally adjusted survey of employers.

The national unemployment rate in November was 10 percent, down slightly from 10.2 percent in October.

Michigan's jobless rate has exceeded 10 percent since late last year. It has been the nation's highest for much of the past four years.