Isabella County maintains lowest unemployment rates across the state

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Isabella County has consistently maintained one of the lowest unemployment levels in Michigan’s 83 counties during tough economic times.

In December 2010 Isabella County recorded an unemployment rate of 7.2 percent according to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. That is the second lowest in Michigan, tying with Clinton County and only being beaten out by Washtenaw County, with 6.6 percent of their labor force unemployed.

The main forces keeping Isabella County’s unemployment rate low are the large employers in the area — Central Michigan University and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.

“It’s fair to say that counties that have universities or large colleges often also tend to have lower unemployment rates than the average,” said Bruce Weaver, economic analyst for DELEG. “If you look in the top 10 counties with the lowest unemployment, counties like Washtenaw, Lansing-area counties, Isabella, Kalamazoo and Marquette, they all have colleges.”

CMU employs approximately 1,400 staff and administrative employees ranging from professional and administrative, office professionals, service maintenance, public broadcasting, senior officers, police officers and supervisory or technical employees, Director of Public Relations Steve Smith said.

Faculty numbers have increased from 962 in the fall of 2001 to 1,091 in the fall of 2010. There were 1,067 faculty in the fall of 2009, Smith said.

“Staff employment has decreased by 4 percent in the last year due primarily to the early retirement incentive from (the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System),” Smith said. “Over the last 10 years the number has varied from a high of 1,467 to a low of 1,387.”

In Isabella County, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe employed a total of 3,268 people, said Public Relations Director Frank Cloutier.

The tribe is easily one of the largest employers in the county and spends about $35 million a year on insurance for its employees, he said.

The number of people the tribe employs varies on need. Before filling a position, they look at a department absorbing the cost or cross-training, but Cloutier said jobs are often available.

“At this point, most vacated positions we look to have filled,” Cloutier said. “There isn’t a day that there isn’t a position posted online.”

Manufacturing jobs are a large share of regional totals, along with other parts focusing on agriculture and tourism for a big percentage of employment, he said.

From December 2009 to December 2010, all 83 counties recorded jobless rate decreases, according to the DELEG.

Michigan’s drop in unemployment can be attributed to a few reasons, Weaver said.

Industries like manufacturing, health care and the temporary-health sector have added jobs since 2009.

There are also fewer people active in Michigan’s job market.

“Our labor force has dropped 73,000 people in a year,” Weaver said. “The fewer unemployed that are looking for work also pushes down the numbers.”