Unemployment Rises, But Still Well Below 2010

There is some good news out today on the labor front, but the worst may not yet be over.

The Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth says unemployment numbers are down from a year ago.

But the seasonally unadjusted numbers from December to January show unemployment was slightly up.

From January 2010 to January 2011, unemployment rates fell in all of the state’s 17 regions.

Statewide, unemployment was up 5 point 6 percent from December to January but down 22.9% from where it had been a year earlier.

In the U.P., the story was similar.

Unemployment was up from December to January by 7.6%, but down 14.9% from January 2010.

Marquette County reported the lowest jobless rate in the U.P. at 9.5%.

Baraga County is showing the strain of the economy with a 22.1% rate.

As it often does in the winter months, Mackinac County had the highest rate in Michigan at 25.3%.