The Detroit News recently reported a 25 percent increase in poverty in Michigan in 2002, and predicts that conditions will worsen before they improve. Michigan’s leading conservative newspaper adds that the growing numbers of poverty-level citizens are straining the resources of food assistance and shelter programs. More at
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jan2004/mich-j05.shtml
Nine percent of Michigan families—or 359,444 households—often don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Michigan's 6.9 percent jobless rate continues to top the 5.7 percent national rate. Full story at
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1082559079171600.xml
Michigan Sees More Jobs Slip Away
Michigan's unemployment rate rose slightly to 7.1 percent in May 2005 as 15,000 jobs disappeared at a time when the rest of the country has been posting employment gains. The state's jobless rate, which has edged higher for two consecutive months, is now 2 percentage points above the national average of 5.1 percent, according to state employment data released Wednesday (June 15, 2005). The gap in April was 1.8 points. "These numbers speak of a state in crisis," Lansing economist Patrick Anderson said. "It's not just we're going the wrong way. We're at the bottom and headed downward."
Full article at http://www.detnews.com/2005/business/0506/16/A01-217883.htm