IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County’s jobless rate in April was 4.7%, down markedly from the 16.9% rate reported a year ago and also down from the March rate of 5.3%, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

“Jobless rates in Michigan have dropped very sharply since April 2020, which was the peak of COVID-19 pandemic layoffs,” said Wayne Rourke, associate director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives.

Although unemployment in most labor market regions in Michigan is still higher than in April 2019, the Upper Peninsula has seen a slight decline, Rourke said.

“Fifteen Michigan regions recorded jobless rate increases since April 2019, with a median advance of 1.6 percentage points,” he noted.

The jobless rate for the Upper Peninsula in April was 5.8%, which was down from 6.5% in March and 20.6% in April 2020. The rate in April 2019 was 5.9%.

Dickinson County was an exception in the U.P., as its jobless rate in April 2021 was 0.7 percentage points higher than in April 2019.

The unemployment rate in Iron County in April was 6%, down from 6.8% in March and 19.2% in April 2020. Iron County’s jobless rate in April 2019 was 6.3%.

“Over the year, all 83 counties exhibited unemployment rate declines,” Rourke said. Since April 2019, 66 Michigan counties had jobless rate increases, he added.

Minor employment gains were seen in April in most sectors across the state, Rourke said. One exception was the manufacturing industry, where jobs fell by 11,000 over the month, due to auto layoffs related to a nationwide semiconductor chip shortage.

Menominee County had the lowest jobless rate in the U.P. at 4.3%, followed by Dickinson at 4.7% and Houghton and Marquette, both at 5%. Mackinac County had the highest rate in the state, 14.1%.

Michigan’s not-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.6%, substantially below the U.S. rate of 6.1%.

Dickinson County showed a civilian labor force of 11,882 workers in April, including 553 unemployed. That compares to 11,522 workers in April 2020, with 1,952 laid off.

Iron County’s labor force totaled 4,765, with 288 unemployed. A year ago, the county had 4,689 workers, with 898 unemployed.

April 2021 unemployment

COUNTY RATE

Menominee ………….4.3%

Dickinson …………4.7%

Houghton ………..5.0%

Marquette …..5.0%

Gogebic …………..5.5%

Delta …………….. 5.6%

Iron ……… 6.0%

Chippewa ………….6.4%

Keweenaw ………..7.0%

Baraga …………… 7.4%

Ontonagon ………. 7.4%

Schoolcraft …… 8.1%

Alger …………….. 8.3%

Luce ……………… 8.5%

Mackinac ………… 14.1%

U.P. ……………….. 5.8%

Michigan …………. 4.6%

U.S ……… 6.1%