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Jobless rate declines to 5.5% in February in Sanilac County




BROWN CITY — The February jobless rate in Sanilac County declined from that in January, edging down to 5.5 percent from 6.6 percent.

Seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates in the state’s 17 major labor market areas decreased over the month, according to data released Friday from the Michigan Dept. of Technology, Management and Budget. Total employment in February advanced in all regions, and workforce levels rose in most areas.

“Michigan’s February regional labor markets showed distinct monthly seasonal trends,” said Jason Palmer, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. “Seasonal job increases occurred in local schools and state universities as students returned from holiday break. Recalls also occurred in February among auto workers on temporary layoff.”

The Michigan jobless rate held at 4.0 percent in February, the fifth consecutive month with an unchanged jobless rate of 4.0 percent. Eighty of Michigan’s 83 counties reported jobless rate declines in February while three remained flat over the month. The state’s jobless rate was four-tenths below its February 2018 rate of 4.4 percent.

Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by two-tenths of a percentage point in February to 3.8 percent. The state’s unemployment rate in February was two-tenths above the national rate.

The February jobless in the region, compared to January, was as follows:

• Lapeer: 5.9 percent, down from 6.3;

• Tuscola: 5.8, down from 6.7;

• Sanilac: 5.5, down from 6.6;

• St. Clair: 5.2, down from 5.6;

• Huron: 5.2, down from 5.8;

• Bay: 5.2, down from 5.8.

According to Palmer, on a statewide basis, the monthly survey of employers indicated that seasonally unadjusted payroll jobs in Michigan rose by 22,000, or 0.5 percent, since January to 4,387,000. Over-the-month nonfarm job gains were primarily due to increases in government (+17,000) and manufacturing (+9,000). Government sector job gains occurred in the subsectors state government educational services (+9,000) and local government educational services (+8,000) as students returned to schools and colleges following holiday break. Job additions in manufacturing primarily reflected recalls in the auto industry following January layoff activity.

In February, 14 counties in Michigan had a jobless rate lower than 4.0 percent, while six counties in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula were above 9 percent.

Mackinac County had the dubious distinction of holding the highest jobless rate at 20 percent, while Ottawa County had the lowest at 2.7 percent.

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