LANSING, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Nov. 30, 2023) – Joblessness dipped slightly along the Lakeshore last month.
In numbers disclosed on Thursday morning by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, the not seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in Ottawa County for October stood at 3.1 percent. That equals Grand Traverse County for the lowest mark among the state’s 83 counties, and while it’s a tenth of a percentage point below September’s mean, it’s a tenth above the 3.0 mark of a year ago. Allegan County’s 3.4 percent level for last month is also a tenth under what was registered for September, but it’s two tenths higher than at this time in 2022.
As for overall across the Great Lakes State, jobless rates fell in 13 major labor markets for the month and 11 has had year-over-year declines, while 48 counties had unemployment drops in October, with 51 showing some receding from this time last year.
“Michigan regional unemployment rates generally exhibited minor declines despite auto-related layoffs throughout the state in October. However, a prominent unemployment rate increase, coupled with decreases in employment and payroll jobs, was seen in the Detroit metro area over the month.” – Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics
Rourke is referencing the time when these unemployment numbers were taken (the week of Oct. 8–14), in the midst of the UAW work action against the Detroit Three automakers, so the strike’s impact is reflected in October’s employment situation.
Regional workforce levels and payroll jobs also showed improvements across Michigan in October.
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