EAST LANSING, MI (WTVB) – Branch County’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in December to three-point-nine percent according to data released on Thursday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.
The report showed Branch County had the 14th lowest unemployment rate among Michigan’s 83 counties after the jobless rate the previous month stood at four percent.
Not seasonally adjusted jobless rates declined in 10 of Michigan’s 17 major labor market areas during December and increased seasonally in northern regions of the state.
Associate Director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives Wayne Rourke said, “Regional labor market conditions continued to show evidence of recovery in 2021. However, despite employment advances over the past year, jobless rates still remained above pre-pandemic levels.”
Regional employment levels were little changed in most metro areas in December.
As for December unemployment rates in neighboring counties, St. Joseph County went down to three-point-seven percent, Hillsdale County went up to four-point-six percent while Calhoun County held nearly steady at five-point-three percent.
While Calhoun County’s unemployment is down from December 2020’s rate of seven-point-seven percent, there are 2,900 less people in the labor force than last year at this time.
Michigan’s unemployment rate in December was five-point-six percent.
Unemployment rates ranged from three percent in Livingston County to 13 percent in Mackinac County.
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