Michigan regional jobless rates rise in December

By AP

LANSING, MI –

Michigan officials say that seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates have increased in all 17 major state labor markets.

The December figures were released Thursday. Rates rose everywhere, with the Upper Peninsula and the northeastern and northwestern Lower Peninsulas showing the highest percentage jumps from November to December.

Statewide, the unadjusted jobless rate was 9%, up from 8.4% in November. The seasonally adjusted rate has been falling for months.

Rates ranged from a low of 5.5% in the Ann Arbor region to a high of 12.6% in the northeastern Lower Peninsula. The Detroit region's unemployment rate for December was 9.7%, up from 9.5% in November.

County unemployment rates ranged from a low of 5.5% in Washtenaw to a high of 18.3% in Mackinac.