IRON MOUNTAIN — The Upper Peninsula jobless rate held steady at 4.5% in October, up from 3.8% a year ago, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

The region had 6,400 workers unemployed in October, the same as September. The U.P.’s civilian labor force was pegged at 140,900.

Not seasonally adjusted jobless rates rose modestly in 15 of Michigan’s 17 labor market areas over the month, said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. The median increase was 0.2 percentage points. Only the Battle Creek and U.P. regions were unchanged.

Despite minor job additions across several industries, total employment fell statewide in October largely due to the loss of about 5,000 jobs in leisure and hospitality, state data showed.

Michigan’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 4.7% in October was up from 4.5% in September and 4.2% a year ago. The national jobless rate was unchanged between September and October at 4.1%. Over the year, the national jobless rate rose by 0.3 percentage points.

All regional labor markets in Michigan experienced jobless rate advances over the year, with a median rate increase of 0.9 percentage points, Rourke said.

Mackinac County had the lowest jobless rate in the U.P. in October at 3.6%, trailed by Houghton County at 3.9% and Marquette County at 4.1%.

The highest rate in the region was 6.3% in Ontonagon County, followed by 6.2% in Alger County and 5.9% in both Schoolcraft and Baraga counties.

Dickinson County’s October jobless rate of 4.3% was down from 4.5% in September but up from 3.2% in October 2023. The civilian labor force numbered 12,179 in October, including 522 looking for work. That compared with a labor force of 12,674 a year ago, with 408 unemployed.

In pre-pandemic October 2019, the jobless rate in Dickinson County was 3.1% in a labor force that totaled 12,205.

In Iron County, the October jobless rate of 5.2% was up from 5% in September and 3.8% a year ago. The labor force numbered 4,704, including 244 jobless. A year ago the county had 4,904 workers with 186 unemployed.

Seventy-one of Michigan’s 83 counties showed higher jobless rates over the month, with Dickinson, Gogebic, Delta and Houghton counties among the exceptions. Eighty-two Michigan counties showed jobless rate advances since October 2023.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, the not seasonally adjusted jobless rate in Florence County was unchanged in October at 2.8%, down from 2.9% a year ago. Marinette County’s rate of 3.3% was up from 3% in September but down from 3.4% in October 2023.

Preliminary data showed Forest County matched an all-time-low unemployment rate of 2.9% in October, WDWD said.

October 2024 Jobless Rates

Mackinac …………………… 3.6%

Houghton …………………… 3.9%

Marquette ………………… 4.1%

Dickinson ………………… 4.3%

Menominee ………………… 4.4%

Keweenaw …………………… 4.5%

Chippewa …………………… 4.8%

Delta …………………………… 4.9%

Gogebic ……………………… 5.1%

Iron ……………………………… 5.2%

Luce ……………………………… 5.6%

Baraga ………………………… 5.9%

Schoolcraft …………… 5.9%

Alger …………………………… 6.2%

Ontonagon ………………… 6.3%

U.P. ……………………………… 4.5%

Michigan …………………… 4.6%

*Rates are not seasonally adjusted