Michigan's jobless rate unchanged at 8.9 percent

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The state says Michigan's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has remained unchanged at 8.9 percent in the latest month, as both the number of people working and the size of the labor force rose slightly.

The Department of Technology, Management & Budget said Wednesday that the state's jobless rate for January was 0.3 percentage points above the revised level of 9.2 percent in January 2012.

Nationally, the unemployment rate was 7.9 percent in January, compared with 7.8 percent in December.

The state says the number of Michiganians unemployed and seeking work remained unchanged in January at 414,000. The civilian labor force rose by 4,000 to 4.644 million.

Department labor information director Rick Waclawek (WAHK'-lah-wek) says Michigan's labor market recovered in 2010 and made strong gains in 2011, then stabilized last year.