Jobless rates fall across Michigan, rise up north

LANSING (AP) -- Unemployment figures have dropped for the majority of Michigan's regional labor markets, but have risen up north. The state said last Thursday that Michigan's seasonally unadjusted jobless rate was at 7.9 percent in November, down from 8.3 percent in October. The rates were lower in 14 of the state's 17 major labor markets but up in three northern Michigan areas. The Department of Technology, Management & Budget says the labor markets that saw unemployment rate increases were the Upper Peninsula, Northeast Lower Michigan and Northwest Lower Michigan. The largest November drop of 0.8 of a percentage point was recorded in the Detroit-Warren-Livonia region. The biggest increase was from 8.6 percent to 9.6 percent in the Northeast Lower Michigan market. Published: Mon, Jan 7, 2013