Michigan jobless rate up 0.4 points to 9 percent

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan's unemployment rate is on the rise, jumping 0.4 percentage points to 9 percent in the latest figures from the state.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July that was released Wednesday remains 1.6 percentage points below July 2011's rate of 10.6 percent. The national rate has fallen 0.8 percentage points in that time.

The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget says the number of jobless state residents actively seeking work rose by 19,000 in July, while the size of the state's labor force was little changed.

July is the third consecutive month in which Michigan's unemployment rate rose. The state's rate is up 0.7 percentage points in that time.

The federal government says July's national jobless rate stood at 8.3 percent, up 0.1 percentage points from June.