IRON MOUNTAIN — The jobless rate in the Upper Peninsula fell to 6% in September as seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates declined in all 17 Michigan major labor market areas, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

“Michigan jobless rates decreased in September, but the reductions primarily were due to fewer persons in the state labor market,” said Wayne Rourke, acting director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives.

The August jobless rate in the U.P. was 6.9%, while the September 2019 rate was 3.7%.

“Jobless rates rose over the year in all 17 Michigan labor markets, with a median rate increase of 3.8 percentage points,” Rourke said.

Dickinson County’s unemployment rate of 5.8% was down from 6.3% in August but up substantially from 3.4% a year ago. The Dickinson rate was the fifth-lowest in the U.P., and tied for 10th-lowest in Michigan.

Iron County showed a rate of 5.9%, which compared with 6.6% in August and 4.2% in September 2019.

The lowest jobless rates in the U.P. were in Mackinac County, 4.2%, Menominee, 5.4%, and Houghton and Marquette, 5.6%. The highest was in Baraga County, 9.4%.

The number of workers actively seeking employment fell across the state, including the U.P. The region’s civilian labor force total of 141,400 was down by 3,300 workers from a year ago. There were 8,500 workers who were unemployed in September, down from 10,000 in August.

A large seasonal jobs gain in September occurred in the governmental sector in Michigan, while the leisure and hospital industry showed a slight decline, Rourke said. All 83 counties had pandemic-related jobless rate increases over the past year.

The state jobless rate of 8.2% in September compared with 8.9% in August and 3.5% a year ago.

COUNTY RATE

Mackinac ……………….. 4.2%

Menominee ……………. 5.4%

Dickinson ………………. 5.8%

Iron ……………………….. 5.9%

Marquette ………………. 5.6%

Houghton ………………. 5.6%

Delta ……………………… 6.3%

Luce ……………………… 6.5%

Gogebic ………………… 6.4%

Schoolcraft …………….. 6.4%

Chippewa ………………. 6.7%

Alger ……………………… 7.5%

Keweenaw …………….. 6.2%

Ontonagon …………….. 8.4%

Baraga ………………….. 9.4%

U.P ……………………….. 6.0%

Michigan ……………….. 8.2%