LANSING, MI (WTVB) – While the unemployment rates in Michigan improved in May, they were still high because of the COVID-19 impact.
The Branch County unemployment rate for May was 19-point-2 percent which was down from April’s staggering figure of 23 percent according to Thursday’s report from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
Neighboring counties also saw a drop in their unemployment rates. Hillsdale County had a jobless rate of 22-point-7 percent while Calhoun County’s rate was 22 percent and St. Joseph County had the biggest drop in unemployment going from 30-point-3 percent in April to 19-point-5 percent in May.
Director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives Jason Palmer says “regional jobless rates declined in May, but remained at historically high levels. A rebound in jobs occurred in several industries, led by a job gain in construction.”
Total employment advanced in all 17 major Michigan regions between April and May.
Michigan’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate edged down slightly in May to 21.2 percent, a small monthly reduction of 2.8 percentage points, according to the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.
