LANSING, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Jul. 25, 2025) – What a difference a year makes.
At this time in 2024, joblessness along the Lakeshore stood at 3.8 percent in Ottawa County, and 3.9 percent in Allegan County. Fast forward 12 months, and those numbers now stand at 5.1 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively.
It reflects, somewhat, current trends, according to data disclosed on Thursday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Not seasonally-adjusted unemployment rates rose in 46 of the state’s 83 counties from May to June, at a median increase of a third of a percentage point, and for the year, 74 of the 83 counties had more people out of work.
As for the 18 major labor market areas, the jobless rate over the past month rose in 14 of them, including the Grand Rapids area, which includes Ottawa County, at 5.3 percent, up three tenths of a percentage point, with 15 hundred more people without a job in June than in May.
State officials say these unemployment rate increases for June were “typical,” but that nonfarm employment was up for the year. Across Michigan, this jobless mark stood at 5.4 percent, a one-tenth of a percentage point higher than last month, and three tenths more than in 2024.
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