By Jim Anderson

Iron Mountain Daily News

IRON MOUNTAIN — The Upper Peninsula jobless rate held steady at 4.5% in October, up from 3.8% a year ago, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

The region had 6,400 workers unemployed in October, the same as September. The U.P.’s civilian labor force was pegged at 140,900.

Not seasonally adjusted jobless rates rose modestly in 15 of Michigan’s 17 labor market areas over the month, said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. The median increase was 0.2 percentage points. Only the Battle Creek and U.P. regions were unchanged.

Despite minor job additions across several industries, total employment fell statewide in October largely due to the loss of about 5,000 jobs in leisure and hospitality, state data showed.

Michigan’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 4.7% in October was up from 4.5% in September and 4.2% a year ago. The national jobless rate was unchanged between September and October at 4.1%. Over the year, the national jobless rate rose by 0.3 percentage points.

All regional labor markets in Michigan experienced jobless rate advances over the year, with a median rate increase of 0.9 percentage points, Rourke said.

Mackinac County had the lowest jobless rate in the U.P. in October at 3.6%, trailed by Houghton County at 3.9% and Marquette County at 4.1%.

The highest rate in the region was 6.3% in Ontonagon County, followed by 6.2% in Alger County and 5.9% in both Schoolcraft and Baraga counties.

The jobess rate was 4.9 percent in Delta County and 5.9 percent in Schoolcraft County. The unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in Menominee County.

Seventy-one of Michigan’s 83 counties showed higher jobless rates over the month, with Dickinson, Gogebic, Delta and Houghton counties among the exceptions. Eighty-two Michigan counties showed jobless rate advances since October 2023.

October 2024 Jobless Rates

Mackinac – 3.6%

Houghton – 3.9%

Marquette – 4.1%

Dickinson – 4.3%

Menominee – 4.4%

Keweenaw – 4.5%

Chippewa – 4.8%

Delta – 4.9%

Gogebic – 5.1%

Iron – 5.2%

Luce – 5.6%

Baraga – 5.9%

Schoolcraft – 5.9%

Alger – 6.2%

Ontonagon – 6.3%

U.P. – 4.5%

Michigan – 4.6%