Michigan jobless rate down 0.1 points to 8.8 percent

LANSING (AP) -- The state says Michigan's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has dropped 0.1 percentage points to 8.8 percent in the latest month, as number of people working rose while the number of jobless people was about flat. The Department of Technology, Management & Budget said Wednesday that the state's jobless rate for February was 0.3 percentage points below the level of 9.1 percent in February 2012. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 7.7 percent in February, down from 7.9 percent in January. The state says the number of Michiganians unemployed and seeking work fell 3,000 to 411,000 over the month. It says the number of people working rose 15,000 to 4.245 million. Department labor information director Rick Waclawek says there have been modest gains in professional services, education, health and retail employment. Published: Fri, Mar 29, 2013