State unemployment climbs to almost 385,000, claims drop nationally

By Bruce Walker | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) latest unemployment numbers paint a grim picture for the nation as a whole – and for Michigan in particular.

DOL data collected in Michigan from the week ending April 4 reveals one of the steepest unemployment increases in the nation. More than 80,509 people filed for unemployment, bringing the total number of Michigan unemployed workers to 384,844.

The national unemployment filings dropped slightly week over week from 6,867,000 to 6.6 million, a decrease of 261,000, according to April 4 DOL data. California led all states with 925,450 unemployed workers, a number that decreased in the state from 1,058,325 the week prior.

Nationally, according to the DOL:

• The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 5.1 percent for the week ending March 28, an increase of 3.0 percentage points from the previous week’s unrevised rate.
• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 28 was 7,455,000, an increase of 4,396,000 from the previous week’s revised level. This marks the highest level of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment in the history of the seasonally adjusted series.
• The previous high was 6,635,000 in May of 2009. The previous week’s level was revised up 30,000 from 3,029,000 to 3,059,000.
• The 4-week moving average was 3,500,000, an increase of 1,439,000 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 7,500 from 2,053,500 to 2,061,000.

Amid signs that the number of COVID-19 cases might be plateauing in some states, federal and state officials have begun talking in recent days about steps to restart the economy after the worst of the pandemic has passed. Such discussions have included allowing those who have recovered from infections to return to the workplace and possibly those who have tested negative for the virus and don’t have complicating risk factors.

Stimulus checks for individual taxpayers are set to start going out in about a week. Americans making less than $75,000 will get one-time checks for $1,200, while couples making less than $150,000 can expect to get $2,400, plus $500 for each child. Those whose earnings top those thresholds will get reduced payments, and individuals making more than $99,000 and couples making more than $198,000 do not get a stimulus check.