IRON MOUNTAIN — The Upper Peninsula’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5.9% in May, down from 6.3% in April and 6.2% a year ago, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

The U.P. was one of only three regions to exhibit a jobless rate reduction over the month, while 16 of Michigan’s 18 labor market areas had rate reductions over the year, said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. “Michigan regional labor markets were largely influenced by seasonal labor force gains in May,” Rourke said.

The U.P. showed a civilian labor force of 132,900 in May, down by 300 over the month and 8,700 over the year. There were 7,900 workers unemployed in May, down by 500 from April and 900 from May 2025. The U.P.’s jobless rate hadn’t been below 6% since November, when it was 5.3%. The highest rate since was 7.1% in January.

Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up by one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.1% during May, according to DTMB data. The national unemployment rate remained unchanged over the month at 4.3%. Michigan’s May jobless rate was 0.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. rate. Both the national and statewide unemployment rates were unchanged over the year.

Since May 2025, the greatest job losses statewide were in trade, transportation, and utilities, down by 9,000; manufacturing, down by 8,000; and leisure and hospitality, down by 6,000. Meanwhile, the government sector was up by 12,000 over the year and private education and health services employment rose by 7,000.

Statewide, manufacturing demonstrated the largest over-the-month employment increase in May, up by 3,000.

Fifty-seven of Michigan’s 83 counties demonstrated unemployment rate gains during May with a median increase of 0.6 percentage points. Jobless rates fell in 71 Michigan counties over the year.

Menominee County showed the lowest unemployment in the U.P. in May at 4.7%, with the highest jobless rate in the U.P. in Ontonagon County at 8.1%.

May unemployment in western UP

Houghton ………… 5.9%

Baraga ………… 6.4%

Gogebic ………… 6.6%

Iron ………… 7.3%

Keweenaw ………… 7.5%

Ontonagon ………… 8.1%

Upper Peninsula ………… 5.9%

Michigan ………… 5.2%

*Rates are not seasonally adjusted.