Michigan jobless rate dips slightly to 15%

WKAR Public Media

Published August 19, 2009 at 4:42 PM EDT

By AP

LANSING, MI – Michigan's unemployment rate edged down slightly to 15% in July, the first drop in the monthly rate in more than a year.

The seasonally adjusted rate announced Wednesday is below the 15.2% jobless rate posted in June. But Michigan is likely to keep the dubious honor of having the nation's highest rate.

Michigan has led the nation for 26 of the past 27 months.

State officials said hiring in the hotel industry, nursing and residential care helped stabilize Michigan's jobless rate last month.

The national unemployment rate for July was 9.4%, down from the 9.5% registered in June.

Michigan's jobless rate was 8.3% in July 2008.

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