Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Michigan

Written by:
November 15, 2022
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Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Michigan

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Michigan using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.

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#50. Newaygo County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 23,790 (958 unemployed)

#49. Shiawassee County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 32,505 (1,293 unemployed)

#48. Wayne County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -3.3%
- Total labor force: 792,534 (31,718 unemployed)

#47. Alpena County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 13,647 (555 unemployed)

#46. Benzie County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 9,006 (365 unemployed)
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#45. Emmet County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 16,997 (697 unemployed)

#44. Hillsdale County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 20,075 (817 unemployed)

#43. Isabella County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 33,364 (1,362 unemployed)

#42. St. Joseph County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 28,348 (1,171 unemployed)

#41. Berrien County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 71,282 (2,963 unemployed)
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#40. Marquette County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 31,726 (1,330 unemployed)

#39. Gogebic County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 5,609 (241 unemployed)

#38. Monroe County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 73,430 (3,179 unemployed)

#37. Van Buren County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 34,838 (1,500 unemployed)

#36. Delta County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 16,738 (743 unemployed)
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#35. Mason County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 13,404 (595 unemployed)

#34. Wexford County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 14,755 (648 unemployed)

#33. Bay County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 48,745 (2,196 unemployed)

#32. Otsego County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 11,694 (530 unemployed)

#31. Sanilac County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 19,694 (877 unemployed)
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#30. Tuscola County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 23,152 (1,036 unemployed)

#29. Chippewa County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 16,713 (773 unemployed)

#28. Calhoun County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 59,967 (2,815 unemployed)

#27. Iron County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 4,870 (231 unemployed)

#26. Mecosta County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 18,991 (885 unemployed)
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#25. Antrim County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 10,325 (506 unemployed)

#24. Kalkaska County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 8,091 (397 unemployed)

#23. Luce County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 2,179 (108 unemployed)

#22. Manistee County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 10,458 (520 unemployed)

#21. Oceana County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 12,551 (638 unemployed)
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#20. Iosco County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 10,538 (547 unemployed)

#19. Keweenaw County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.5%
- Total labor force: 927 (48 unemployed)

#18. Muskegon County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 77,197 (4,028 unemployed)

#17. Gladwin County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 9,934 (530 unemployed)

#16. Saginaw County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 82,233 (4,356 unemployed)
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#15. Genesee County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 175,992 (9,727 unemployed)

#14. Presque Isle County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 5,076 (278 unemployed)

#13. Alcona County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 3,990 (223 unemployed)

#12. Alger County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 3,401 (195 unemployed)

#11. Crawford County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 5,488 (311 unemployed)
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#10. Lake County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 4,276 (248 unemployed)

#9. Schoolcraft County

- Current unemployment rate: 5.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 3,266 (190 unemployed)

#8. Arenac County

- Current unemployment rate: 6.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 5,927 (357 unemployed)

#7. Baraga County

- Current unemployment rate: 6.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 3,123 (186 unemployed)

#6. Clare County

- Current unemployment rate: 6.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 11,473 (689 unemployed)
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#5. Ogemaw County

- Current unemployment rate: 6.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 8,373 (499 unemployed)

#4. Ontonagon County

- Current unemployment rate: 6.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 2,142 (133 unemployed)

#3. Montmorency County

- Current unemployment rate: 6.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 3,095 (203 unemployed)

#2. Oscoda County

- Current unemployment rate: 7.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 2,709 (208 unemployed)

#1. Roscommon County

- Current unemployment rate: 7.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 7,564 (581 unemployed)
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