New Michigan jobless claims remain steady

National numbers see a sharp decline

New jobless claims in Michigan remained steady last week but fell more than expected nationally in what could be a sign that layoffs caused by the coronavirus pandemic are easing.

New claims in Michigan were 15,616 up slightly from the 14,507 claims filed the week before, but new claims nationally fell from 769,000 to 576,000, the lowest level since the pandemic began, according to numbers released Thursday by the U.S. Labor Department.

Nationally, some 16.9 million people continue to collect jobless benefits. In Michigan, continuing claims fell to 103,594 as the state’s economy continues to improve.

The 103,594 continuing Michigan claims is still above the 75,075 continuing claims in the state sys- tem from before the pandemic be- gan more than a year ago.

The drop in claims nation- ally comes after employers added 916,000 jobs in March, the most since August, in a sign that a sustained recovery is taking hold as vaccinations accelerate, pandemic business restrictions are lifted in

many states and Americans appear increasingly willing to travel, shop, eat out and otherwise spend again.

The unemployment rate fell to 6%, from 6.2%, less than half the pandemic peak of nearly 15%.

Under President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion rescue package, the federal government is now supplementing weekly jobless benefits by $300 a week — on top of the average state unemployment payment of about $340 — through September.

That extra money may be encouraging more people to request unemployment aid.

In Michigan, for example, the unemployment rate for people covered by jobless benefits is down to 2.53%, but the labor force in the state is also smaller by some 207,668 people, indicating that some people may have stopped looking for work.

Labor market information published by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget indicates the state’s unemployment rate for February, the latest month available, was 5.1%.