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Employment edged upward in the Upper Peninsula in February.
Figures released yesterday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed that 123,700 Yoopers reported to work last month. That’s 600 more than were on the job in January.
However, the number of available workers increased by 1,000, so the U.P.’s unemployment rate climbed from 7.2 to 7.4 percent. That figure is not adjusted to reflect typical seasonal fluctuations. The unadjusted rate from last February was 6.7 percent.
Locally, Houghton County’s unemployment rate held steady compared to January, at 5.7 percent. Baraga County rose from 8.8 percent to 9.1 percent. Ontonagon County’s rate fell from 8.2 to 7.8 percent. Keweenaw County dropped from 8.3 to 7.4 percent.
The lowest rate was in Oakland County, at 2.9 percent. The highest rate was in Mackinac County, at 22.7 percent, reflecting the Straits area’s heavy reliance on summer tourism jobs.
The statewide unadjusted unemployment rate came in at 4.6 percent for February, compared to 4.8 percent in January, and 4.9 percent in February of 2022. Michigan’s seasonally adjusted rate was 4.3 percent – the same as January, and December.
See all the statewide figures here.
