State jobless rate hits 11.6% (Michigan)

[BeatleBoot]

From the Detroit News...

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090306/BIZ/903060378

State jobless rate hits 11.6%


Michigan's jobless rate, which soared to a 25-year high at 11.6 percent in January, is driving a record number of state residents to sign up for Medicaid, the state's health care plan for the poor.

The unemployment rate was up 1.4 percentage points from December and is the highest since May 1984, according to data released Thursday by the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth.

State officials report the average monthly number of Medicaid recipients for the budget year that started Oct. 1 is at a record 1.67 million, up 7.3 percent compared to a year ago, and is expected to climb even higher throughout the year as more state workers lose their jobs and health care benefits.

Total employment in Michigan -- a state whipsawed by national recession and a sliding auto industry -- has fallen for 20 consecutive months.

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[JANdad]

1. Shhhh.....Don't mention anything about

Outsourcing or H1B visas or immigrants leaving for their home country...you will be labled a bigot....

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snip:

With the pace of layoffs hastening, the state's jobless rate is expected to continue to climb and hover in the 10 percent to 11 percent range until at least 2010, some economists say. Michigan's all-time highest jobless rate came in November 1982, when the rate hit 16.9 percent. By the end of 2010, the auto industry will employ less than one-third of the workers it did just 10 years earlier, U-M economist Fulton said.

If their forecast is right, it would mean 2010 would mark the 10th straight year of employment declines in Michigan. The economists said their projections show some "modest" job gains in 2011.

[killbotfactory]

2. Golly. Why are so many people choosing not to work?

It must be so they can get those fat juicy welfare checks!

Am I right, guys?

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to ash my giant cigar in the cup of a beggar.