COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Figures from the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives show that Branch County unemployment in May was at 4.4 percent which was a tenth of a percent below the national and state jobless rate.
Branch County’s unemployment rate was unchanged from April while Hillsdale County saw its unemployment go up by three-tenths of a percent to 4.5 percent.
St. Joseph County’s jobless rate went up two-tenths of a percent to 3.6 percent while Calhoun County’s rate went up a tenth of a percent to 4.1 percent.
Branch County’s labor force and the number of people in the labor force who were able to find jobs increased by 200 in each category. There were 25 less members of the labor force working when compared to April numbers. The labor force for Branch County in May stood at 19,400.
Analyst Dr. Leonidas Murembya says the number of people looking for jobs outpaced available job openings in May from mostly seasonal hiring in construction, leisure and hospitality as well as professional and business services. He noted that unemployment rates edged up slightly in most Southwest Michigan labor markets.
