LANSING, MI (WTVB) – A truly devastating unemployment report for the month of April was released by the State of Michigan on Friday.
The Branch County unemployment rate for April was a staggering 23 percent according to the report from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
Branch County’s jobless rate surged after it was at 3-point-4 percent in March.
The March unemployment report did not reflect how the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting the state’s economy.
Most of the COVID-19 related layoffs began in the second half of March and continued through all of April and were not reflected in last month’s data.
Seasonally unadjusted jobless rates jumped significantly in all 17 of the state’s major labor market areas and in all 83 counties during April.
Friday’s data reflected the first month of the initial impact of COVID-19 on employment and unemployment trends in regional labor markets.
Hillsdale County’s unemployment rate was 27-point-7 percent while St. Joseph County was at 30-point-3 percent and Calhoun County’s rate came in at 24-point-6 percent.
Jason Palmer who is the director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives said “industry jobs plunged throughout the state, particularly in the leisure and hospitality and manufacturing sectors.”
