The Upper Peninsula’s jobless rate rose sharply in January, climbing 1.4 percentage points since December to 7.2%, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

Wayne Rourke, labor market information director of the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. said there were “typical increases in unemployment rates” across the state in January. He noted the data is not seasonally adjusted.

Still, the U.P. jobless rate was up by 0.6 percentage points from 6.6% in January 2022.

The civilian labor force in the U.P. was estimated at 132,500 in January, which was 1,500 more than a year ago. There were 9,500 workers listed as unemployed, 900 more than in January 2022.

Across Michigan, the largest over-the-month employment losses occurred in trade, transportation and utilities; government; and professional and business services.

“All Michigan counties displayed an uptick in jobless rates between December and January, with a median increase of 1.2 percentage points,” Rourke said. Jobless rates rose in 58 of the state’s 83 counties over the year.

The statewide unemployment rate in January was 4.8%, up from 3.8% in December but down from 5% a year ago.

Dickinson County’s jobless rate of 4.7% was the lowest in the U.P., up from 4% in December and down slightly from 4.8% in January 2022. The civilian labor force was estimated at 11,952, which included 566 out of work. In January 2022, the labor force was pegged at 12,211, with 583 unemployed.

In Iron County, the January jobless rate was 8%, up from 6.6% in December and 7.3% a year ago. The labor force was reported at 4,551, including 364 unemployed. A year ago, the Iron County labor force numbered 4,768, of which 347 were jobless.

In pre-pandemic January 2020, the unemployment rate in Dickinson County was 4.8% while in Iron County it was 6.8%.

Menominee County had the second-lowest jobless rate in the U.P. in January at 5%, followed by Houghton County at 5.7%. Mackinac County had the highest unemployment in both the U.P. and the state at 21.2%. Schoolcraft County had the second-highest U.P. rate at 11.9%, followed by Alger County at 10.3%.

The U.S. jobless rate was 3.4% in January, down from 4% in January 2022. In pre-pandemic January 2020, the U.S. jobless rate was 3.5%.

The February unemployment rate in the U.S. was 3.6%. Michigan’s February jobless rate will be reported Thursday, with regional employment figures due a week later.

County …………. Rate

Dickinson ……………….. 4.7%

Menominee …………….. 5.0%

Houghton ……………….. 5.7%

Marquette ……………….. 6.0%

Gogebic …………………. 6.4%

Delta …………………….. 6.9%

Iron ………………………. 8.0%

Ontonagon ……………… 8.2%

Keweenaw ………………. 8.3%

Chippewa ……………….. 8.5%

Luce ……………………… 8.8%

Baraga …………………… 8.8%

Alger …………………….. 10.3%

Schoolcraft ……………… 11.9%

Mackinac ………………… 21.2%

U.P. ……………………….. 7.2%

Michigan ……………….. 4.8%

U.S. ………………………. 3.4%