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IRON MOUNTAIN -- The Upper Peninsula's not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dipped to 5% in August, down from 5.2% in July and 5.4% a year ago, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
DTMB data showed 6,700 unemployed in the U.P. in August, down by 300 from July. The size of the region's civilian labor force fell to 133,100 in August, down by 800 over the month.
Similar trends were observed across the state.
"Michigan regional unemployment rate reductions were primarily influenced by workforce declines over the month," said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics.
Michigan's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate inched up by one-tenth of a percentage point to 5% during August, Rourke said. "Payroll jobs declined due to losses in manufacturing," he added.
Michigan's total workforce fell by 0.5% over the month, while the national labor force moved up by 0.4%. Statewide, the labor force is down by 3.2% over the year, compared with a drop of 6.6% in the U.P.
The national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1% in August. The U.S. jobless rate fell by two-tenths of a percentage point over the year, while the statewide rate rose by one-tenth of a percentage point since August 2025.
The manufacturing sector in Michigan demonstrated the greatest over-the-month employment decrease in August, down by an estimated 2,000 jobs. Professional and business services have shown the greatest numerical job losses over the year, down by 6,000.
Industries with the most prominent over-the-year payroll gains include government, up by 16,000 jobs, and private education and health services, rising by 8,000.
The unemployment rate in Dickinson County in August was 4.4%, the same as in July but down slightly from 4.6% a year ago. The labor force totaled 11,676 in August, including 513 looking for work. A year ago, there were 580 jobless in a workforce of 12,615.
Iron County's August jobless rate of 6.2% was down from 6.3% in July and 6.5% in August 2025. There were 252 jobless in a labor force of 4,049 in August, compared with 290 unemployed among 4,491 workers a year ago. Despite the dip in jobless numbers, Iron County's rate remained the highest in the U.P.
Fifty-nine of Michigan's 83 counties demonstrated unemployment rate reductions during August, with a median decrease of 0.2 percentage points. Jobless rates fell in 71 Michigan counties over the year.
Mackinac County had the lowest jobless rate in the U.P. in July at 3.5%, followed by Menominee County at 4.1%.
Iron County's unemployment rate was narrowly higher than the 6.1% rate in Ontonagon County.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Florence County's not seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 3.6% in August was up from 3.5% in July and 3.1% a year ago. Marinette County's unemployment rate of 4.2% in August was the same as in July and up slightly from 3.9% a year ago.
JULY UNEMPLOYMENT
Mackinac -- 3.5%
Menominee -- 4.1%
Dickinson -- 4.4%
Marquette -- 4.9%
Houghton -- 5.1%
Delta -- 5.1%
Keweenaw -- 5.3%
Alger -- 5.3%
Chippewa -- 5.3%
Luce -- 5.8%
Schoolcraft -- 5.8%
Ontonagon -- 6.0%
Baraga -- 6.0%
Gogebic -- 6.1%
Iron -- 6.2%
Upper Peninsula -- 5.0%
Michigan -- 5.2%
*Rates are not seasonally adjusted.