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Michigan Jobless Rate Drops Again

State officials said Michigan added 20,000 manufacturing jobs in July, most tied to the auto industry, and the unemployment rate continued its downward trend.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan's unemployment rate has continued its downward trend, dropping a tenth of a percent to 13.1 percent in the latest monthly figures.

State officials said Wednesday that Michigan added 20,000 manufacturing jobs in July, mostly tied to the auto industry.

July's seasonally adjusted jobless rate was a full point lower than the July 2009 state rate of 14.2 percent, but remained significantly above the national rate of 9.5 percent.

Officials say automakers and suppliers that normally lay off workers in the summer to retool didn't do so because of strong demand.

The state added 5,000 government jobs and 4,000 positions in trade, transportation and utilities.

Michigan had the nation's second-highest unemployment rate in June, trailing only Nevada.

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