COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Figures from the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives show that Branch County unemployment went up slightly in June to 4.5 percent which was still below national and state jobless rates.
Branch County’s unemployment rate was up one tenth of a percent from May but the workforce level in the county went up by 100 in June.
The unemployment rate for Branch County is down from June of 2015 when it was at 5.1 percent.
Hillsdale County saw its unemployment go up by two-tenths of a percent to 4.7 percent.
St. Joseph County’s jobless rate also went up three-tenths of a percent to 3.9 percent while Calhoun County’s rate went up to 4.4 percent.
Analyst Dr. Leonidas Murembya says seasonal hiring continued to occur in leisure and hospitality but was partially offset by temporary summer layoffs of support staff in K-12 and higher education.
Michigan’s unemployment rate was 4.9 percent. The national rate stood at 5.1 percent.
