LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Jobless rates increased in all 17 major Michigan labor market areas in December, according to data released Thursday from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.
Regional jobless rates in the state ranged from 3.6 to 10.1 percent in December. Jobless rate advances over the month varied from 0.2 to 1.7 percentage points. All 83 Michigan counties demonstrated jobless rate hikes in December and the Northeast Lower Michigan region showed the largest unemployment rate gain between November and December.
“Regional labor markets experienced pandemic-related and seasonal job cuts in December,” said Wayne Rourke, associate director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. “Preliminary 2020 annual average jobless rates rose significantly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Preliminary annual average data indicates that regional jobless rates rose significantly in all of Michigan’s 17 major regions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rates jumped by 3.0 to 7.5 percentage points, with a median increase of 4.9 percentage points.
The largest 2020 jobless rate hike occurred in the Muskegon metropolitan statistical area (MSA).
