UP unemployment remains low

More people were employed and more workers joined the workforce in Gogebic County in October, according to the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information.

Total unemployment remained the same as it was in September at 250. Although the unemployment rate ticked up from 4 percent in September to 4.2 percent in October, the number of jobless remained at 250 over the month. The reason for the slight two-tenth of a percent hike is because the labor market rose by 50 to 6,075. One year ago in October, the Gogebic unemployment rate was 5.1 percent.

Ontonagon County also saw an uptick in the unemployment rate for October, from 5.5 percent to 5.8 percent, with the same good features as Gogebic County, but smaller numbers. The Ontonagon County labor force also rose, but by 25, and employment also rose by 25 to 2,000.

The number of unemployed in Ontonagon County remained the same in September and October at 125. The present jobless rate of 5.8 percent is nearly a full percent lower than a year ago, when it was 6.6 percent.

Baraga County recorded an unemployment rate of 4.7 percent, slightly higher than the September rate of 4.3 percent, but lower than the 5.9 percent rate a year ago.

Houghton County’s unemployment rate climbed .1 percent to 3.8 percent from 3.7 percent in September. One year ago it was 4.4 percent.

Keweenaw County saw a fall in unemployment from 4.4 percent in September to 3.9 percent in October. A year ago, Keweenaw unemployment was 5.5 percent.

Mackinac County reported the lowest unemployment rate in the U.P. at 2.7 percent.

Michigan’s jobless rose from 3.5 percent in September to 3.8 percent in October. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.6 percent in September, and fell to 3.5 percent in October.

— Jan Tucker