Job Creation and Workforce Development Lower Regional Unemployment Rates
Thanks to job creation and job opportunities, this past October showed another decline in Michigan’s unemployment rates in major labor markets according to the Michigan Department of Technology. On a regional scale, the unemployment rate for Kalamazoo and Portage lowered to 4.6 percent during the month of October, compared to 5.2 percent that we saw during the month of September. This is also lowered from the 5.3 percent that was recorded last year in October of 2020. Battle Creek and Niles-Benton Harbor both also saw a 0.7 percent decrease in unemployment, with a rate of 6.0 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively.
This data is not seasonally adjusted but shows that Southwest Michigan’s economic development and job creation opportunities are still working to keep local economies strong, even during rising COVID cases this fall and winter. To see more of this data, visit our First and 42 magazine site but clicking the link provided below.
Source: Michigan DTMB: Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), July 2021. Notes: All estimates are preliminary. Data is not seasonally adjusted.