State Says Unemployment was Down in September Along Lakeshore

LANSING, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Oct. 26, 2023) – Slightly down yet slightly up.

That’s the look of not seasonally-adjusted unemployment rates for the Lakeshore in September, following the Thursday release of monthly numbers by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

Called “typical seasonal jobless rate declines” by Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics, Ottawa County’s unemployment level stood at 3.2 percent last month, tied for second among Michigan’s 83 counties, and three tenths of a percentage point above the 2.9 in Livingston County. Ottawa’s September mark is three tenths lower than in August, but two tenths above the standard set a year ago.

Allegan County had similar joblessness at 3.3 percent for September, down three tenths from the month before, but a tenth above this time in 2022. Overall, 78 of the 83 Michigan counties had unemployment declines month-over-month, and 54 counties are down on jobless rates thus far in 2023.

As for the UAW work action that began on September 15^th, state officials say that, since those workers affected had been at their jobs for a portion of that week when labor market trends were recorded, the labor dispute “had no substantial impact on September’s employment situation.”