(AP) -- Michigan will lose a seat in Congress after census results show the state population fell by 0.6 percent over the past decade, the lowest growth rate in the nation.
The Census Bureau announced Tuesday that Michigan's delegation in the U.S. House will fall from 15 to 14 beginning in 2012.
That represents a continued decline since 1970, when Michigan's representation peaked at 19.
Experts say the culprit was a deep, decade-long recession that sent many residents to other states in search of jobs.
The loss of a House seat will hurt Michigan's clout in Washington and also will reduce its share of funding for federal programs such as highway construction, education and health care.
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