IRON MOUNTAIN — The Upper Peninsula’s unemployment rate climbed a full percentage point in December as it rose to 5.9%, up from 4.9% in November, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

“Regional labor markets demonstrated employment and workforce reductions during December,” said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director of the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. “However, preliminary annual average jobless rates declined markedly over the year.”

In the U.P., the preliminary annual jobless rate in 2022 was 5.4%, down from 5.9% in 2021.

Statewide, the preliminary annual jobless rate was 4.3% in 2022, also down from 5.9% in 2021. Rate reductions in the state’s 17 labor market areas ranged from 0.5 to 2.1 percentage points, with a median decrease of 1.2 percentage points.

The civilian labor force in the U.P. in December was pegged at 131,800 workers, including 7,800 unemployed. The labor force was down by 200 from November but up by 2,500 since December 2021. A year ago, the Upper Peninsula’s jobless rate was 5%.

Dickinson County showed the lowest jobless rate in the region in December at 4%, compared with 3.7% in November and 3.7% in December 2021. The county’s civilian labor force was estimated at 11,995 in December, including 479 looking for work.

Iron County’s jobless rate of 6.3% in December was up from 5% in November and 5.4% a year ago. The labor force in December was listed at 4,814, with 304 unemployed.

Menominee County had the second-lowest jobless rate in the U.P. in December at 4.4%, followed by Houghton County at 4.5%. Mackinac County had the highest unemployment in both the U.P. and the state at 15.9%, followed by Alger County at 10.3%.

In all, 81 of Michigan’s 83 counties displayed unemployment rate increases during December, with a median gain of 0.7 percentage points.

Michigan’s not-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate of 3.8% in December was up from 3.5% in November but down from 4.2% in December 2021.

The U.S. jobless rate of 3.5% in December was down from 3.6% in November and 3.9% a year ago.

In pre-pandemic December 2019, the U.S. jobless rate was 3.6%.

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December 2022 unemployment

COUNTY …………… RATE

Dickinson …………… 4.0%

Menominee …………… 4.4%

Houghton …………… 4.5%

Marquette …………… 4.9%

Gogebic …………… 5.3%

Delta …………… 5.9%

Iron …………… 6.3%

Chippewa …………… 6.9%

Keweenaw …………… 7.6%

Ontonagon …………… 7.7%

Baraga …………… 7.8%

Luce …………… 7.8%

Schoolcraft …………… 8.5%

Alger …………… 10.3%

Mackinac …………… 15.9%

U.P. …………… 5.9%

Michigan …………… 3.8%

U.S. …………… 3.5%