LANSING, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Jan. 30, 2025) – No doubt about it – joblessness was up along the Lakeshore as a New Year began.
In numbers disclosed on Thursday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, the not seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for Ottawa County in December, 2024 stood at 3.9 percent. That’s third lowest among the state’s 83 counties, behind Livingston’s 3.3 percent and Oakland’s 3.8, but its a full half of a percentage point higher from November’s level, and is 1.2 percentage points above what was seen a year ago.
Allegan County didn’t fare better, with a mark of 4.4 percent for December being seven tenths higher than the month before, and the same 1.2 percentage points above what was seen a year ago. The Lakeshore counties were among 78 statewide that saw joblessness rise last month, and all 83 counties have more people out of work now than in December of 2023.
The county trends mirror those seen in 15 of Michigan’s 17 major labor markets, and state agency officials cite “reductions” by employers as the biggest reason for the rise.
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