LANSING, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Apr. 10, 2026) – It took a while, but the employment outlook for the state and the Lakeshore as a new year began has now come into focus.
On Thursday, the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget released not seasonally-adjusted jobless rates for January. It indicated that those levels rose in all 18 major labor market areas from the month before, as well as in 82 of the state’s 83 counties.
This included both Ottawa and Allegan counties, each up four tenths of a percentage point from December to 4.3 and 4.8 percent, respectively. However, these numbers are less than at the start of 2025, when these levels stood at 4.5 and 5.3 percent, respectively.
Dr. Brian Long, director of supply management research with the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University, isn’t surprised by these employment trends.
The state relies on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for compiling these monthly reports, and federal government shutdowns over the past six months has affected the access of such information.
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