The Upper Peninsula jobless rate saw little change in March as the number of jobless workers rose by 200 since February and the estimated size of the labor force dipped, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology Management and Budget.

“Michigan labor markets exhibited little to no jobless rate changes in most regions during March,” said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics.

The U.P.’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 6.8% in March was up from 6.6% in February but down from 7.8% in March 2025.

There were 9,200 jobless in the U.P. in a civilian labor force of 135,700 in March, compared with 9,000 unemployed among 136,500 in February.

Compared with March 2025, the U.P. had 1,900 fewer workers unemployed in March, but the size of the labor force was down as well — by an estimated 7,000 workers, or a decline of 4.9%.

Regional labor force levels receded in nearly all regions over the year, with a median decline of 4.7%, according to DTMB data. “The Midland metro area demonstrated the largest over-the-year labor force decrease of 7.3 percent,” Rourke said.

Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged for the fifth consecutive month, remaining at 5% in March. The national rate edged down by one-tenth of a percentage point over the month to 4.3%.

Over the year, the national unemployment rate advanced by 0.1 percentage points, while Michigan’s rate receded by 0.3 percentage points.

The government and private education and health services sectors experienced the highest gains in Michigan since March 2025, up by a combined 18,000 jobs.

The DTMB data showed trade, transportation, and utilities jobs down by 12,000 over the year, while manufacturing displayed a 9,000-job slide.

Menominee County had the lowest jobless rate in the U.P. in March at 4.4%, followed by Dickinson County at 4.7%. Mackinac County was the highest at 19.9%.

Dickinson County’s jobless rate was down by 0.1 percentage points from 4.8% in February. The March 2025 rate was 5.6%

There were 567 jobless workers in March in a labor force of 11,973 in Dickinson County. In March 2025, the labor force numbered 12,659 with 709 unemployed.

Iron County’s jobless rate of 8.4% in March was the same as February, but down from 9.5% in March 2025. There were 345 unemployed in March in a workforce of 4,099. That compared with 415 unemployed in March 2025 when Iron County’s labor force totaled 4,348.

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reported a jobless rate of 4.7% in Florence County in March, which was down from 5.2% in February and 4.8% in March 2025.

Marinette County’s March unemployment rate of 5.6% compared with 5.7% in February and 5.2% in March 2025.

MARCH UNEMPLOYMENT

Menominee….4.4%

Dickinson……4.7%

Houghton…….5.3%

Marquette……6.1%

Gogebic………6.2%

Delta………….6.5%

Keweenaw…..7.3%

Ontonagon…..7.3%

Luce…………..7.3%

Baraga………..7.4%

Chippewaw….8.1%

Iron…………….8.4%

Alger…………..9.8%

Schoolcraft….10.2%

Mackinac……19.9%

U.P……………..6.8%

Michigan……..5.1%

*Rates are not seasonally adjusted.