Unemployment Ticks Up In The U.P.

Unemployment appears to be on the rise in the Upper Peninsula.

Statewide, seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates in November declined slightly over the month in most of the state’s 17 major labor market areas, according to the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.

Total employment and labor force levels rose moderately in the majority of regions in November.

Michigan’s three northernmost labor market regions posted seasonal jobless rate increases, with the U.P. seeing an increase of about 0.5 percent, to 5.5 percent.

The jobless rate for the state is 4.5 percent.

If you look county by county, Houghton County is close to the statewide rate at 4.6 percent…with Baraga at 6.6, Ontonagon at 7.4 and Keweenaw County at 8.4.

The national seasonally unadjusted rate is 4.8 percent.