By Gretchen Millich, WKAR News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-873502.mp3
East Lansing, MI –
Unemployment statistics for October show the Lansing, East Lansing area faring better than most of the state. The jobless rate for Lansing and East Lansing was down .4% from September, at 10.6%. That's second lowest unemployment rate in the state.
Mark Reffitt is an analyst with the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. He says the Lansing area has one of the strongest economies in Michigan, due to the presence of state government, insurance companies and Michigan State University, "Whenever you have that large of an employer outside of something like manufacturing and construction, I mean that's where you're seeing the majority of the job losses in this decade. When you've got something like that that can help absorb job losses a little bit, it certainly does help."
Statewide, the overall jobless rate dropped slightly from 14.8% in September to 14.3% in October.