Not seasonally adjusted jobless rates advanced in six Michigan regions and declined in three labor market areas during February, according to data released today by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget. Regional rates remained unchanged in eight areas over the month.
“Labor force levels were up across all regions in February,” said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director of the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. “Changes in regional unemployment rates were mixed over the month.”
The Upper Peninsula’s jobless rate was at 7.4% for February, an increae from 7.2% in January and from 6.7% in February of last year. There are an estimated 9,800 unemployed people in the U.P., which is a large increase from last February when the estimate was 8,800 out-of-work Yoopers.
The highest unemployment rate in the U.P. was in Mackinac County at 22.7%, followed by Alger County at 11% and Scholcraft County at 10.9%. The lowest jobless rate in the U.P. was in Menominee County at 4.8%, followed by Dickinson County at 4.9% and Houghton County at 5.7%.
Over the year, jobless rates rose in nine areas and decreased in seven regions. The Northeast Lower Michigan region demonstrated the largest over-the-year rate increase of 0.9 percentage points. The unemployment rate remained unchanged in the Lansing MSA since February 2022.
Sixteen Michigan regions exhibited employment gains over the year, with a median increase of 2.2 percent.
Total workforce levels advanced in all 17 labor market areas across Michigan in February, with a median increase of 0.8 percent. The largest labor force increase this month occurred in the Lansing MSA. Workforce levels increased in 16 Michigan regions over the year as well, with the most pronounced labor force advance seen in the Niles-Benton Harbor MSA (+4.3 percent).
Michigan not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment rose by 37,000, or 0.9 percent, over the month, according to the monthly survey of employers. The majority of this increase came from job gains in the state’s government sector (+20,000).
Payroll employment rose in 13 metro areas over the month, with a median increase of 0.6 percent. The Lansing metro area demonstrated the largest over-the-month gain in jobs (+3.5 percent).
Michigan total nonfarm employment rose by 92,000 over the year, or 2.2 percent. All 14 metro areas displayed job advances over the year, with a median employment increase of 2.6 percent.
Forty-four Michigan counties demonstrated unemployment rate increases over the month, while 22 counties exhibited rate decreases and 17 county rates remained unchanged. Jobless rates rose in 63 Michigan counties over the year.
For more detailed information, including data tables, view the full release.
Note: Data in this release is not seasonally adjusted. As a result, employment and unemployment trends may differ from previously released Michigan seasonally adjusted data.
A breakdown of not seasonally adjusted February workforce estimates for Michigan and its 17 major labor market areas follows, along with a ranking of county jobless rates for February.
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