IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County’s jobless rate of 16.6% in April ranked as the fourth-lowest in the state, according to data released Friday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.

The April data reflected the first month of the initial impact of COVID-19 on employment and unemployment trends in regional labor markets. Most of the COVID-19 related layoffs began in the second half of March and continued through all of April.

“Jobless rates in April exceeded 20 percent in most Michigan regions, reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jason Palmer, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. “Industry jobs plunged throughout the state, particularly in the leisure and hospitality and manufacturing sectors.”

The Upper Peninsula unemployment rate in April was 20.3%, up markedly from 5.4% in March and 5.8% a year ago. The region’s civilian labor force numbered 131,000, including 26,600 unemployed, up by 18,800 compared to April 2019.

Menominee County had the state’s lowest jobless rate at 14.5% and Houghton County ranked third-lowest at 15.8%. Iron County’s April unemployment rate of 18.9% was the 10th-lowest.

Michigan’s highest April jobless rate was 41.2% in Cheboygan County, followed by Mackinac County at 38.1%.

Regional jobless rates ranged from 14.9% in the Ann Arbor area to 30.1% in the Flint metropolitan area. All regional unemployment rates were far above prior year levels, with a median rate hike of 20.8 percentage points.

Regional and county employment estimates are produced on a monthly basis using information from the week of the 12th of each month.

Michigan’s seasonally unadjusted jobless rate in April was 23.8%, likely an all-time high for the state. The rate in April 2019 was 3.7%.