Michigan, Nevada experience encouraging employment trends

Several states, including Michigan and Nevada, have been seeing promising employment trends for the first time in several years.

In Michigan, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September fell to 5.0 percent. With the national average coming in at 5.1 percent, it marks the first time the Wolverine State has released a number which is below the national average since August 2000.

“We need to stay focused on our goal, but it also is important to look back to see how far we’ve come,” Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said. “Michigan’s unemployment rate was once the worst in the United States. Today, we are below the national average for the first time since August 2000. This means more people in Michigan are able to use their skills and are finding fulfilling jobs to support themselves and their families, making our cities and our communities stronger in a variety of ways.”

Nevada’s unemployment rate moved down one-tenth of a percentage point, to 6.7 percent, in September. The labor force in the state continues to grow twice as rapidly as the national pace, aiding the upward tick. It marked the 55th consecutive month of unemployment declines for the state, and the current measure is the lowest unemployment rate since July 2008.

“I’m pleased that the jobless rate in Nevada continues to trend down,” Gov. Brian Sandoval said. “I am encouraged that more Nevadans continue to re-enter our workforce as prospective job seekers while confidence in our economy continues to build. We remain on pace to reach our pre-recessionary record levels of employment in mid-2016. In fact, some sectors have already reached that threshold. Still, there remains room for improvement, and I will continue to pursue opportunities that will help strengthen and diversify our economy.”