Isabella County unemployment up to 9.1 percent
An increase in joblessness in December pushed Isabella County from the number one spot in the state’s lowest unemployment rate, according to a state news release.
The county’s unemployment rate jumped to 9.1 percent from November’s 8.5 percent, giving Washtenaw County the lowest unemployment rate in Michigan. The two counties are the only ones to maintain at a rate below 10 percent.
Carolyn Bennett, director of promotions and workforce development for Middle Michigan Development Corporation, said Isabella County’s boost in joblessness is nothing to be too concerned about.
“It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reasons for the increase,” she said. “What is important is that Isabella County continues to have one of the lowest jobless rates in the state.”
Bennett said 2009 is no different than past years because unemployment rates usually rise slightly in December.
In 2007, the jobless rate in Isabella County increased by less than a percent point from November to December and, in 2008, it jumped 1.1 percentage points.
State decrease
Michigan’s unemployment rate has decreased to 14.6 percent from 15.1 since October, making three consecutive months of decline for the state.
“It’s really too soon to tell if this will continue,” said Bruce Weaver, economic manager for the Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. “Since about June ... the unemployment rate in Michigan has been hanging right at or around 15 percent.”
Since October, the labor force level in Michigan has decreased by 0.76 percent.
“When the economy is bad and jobs are hard to find, others who would be in the labor force go to school, training, or tend not to look for jobs,” Weaver said.
Janet Bloomfield, Central Area Michigan Works Consortium vice president for employment training, said the decline in labor force is a result of people losing faith in Michigan’s economy and giving up on looking for a job.
Bloomfield said she believes the labor force will start to increase again if unemployment continues to decrease.
“As Michigan’s economy is reinvented, I think that will give people hope,” she said.
Bloomfield said when people begin to enter the labor force again, it could cause a temporary increase in the unemployment rate but, overall, it will be a good sign for the economy when that happens.
In November, the 8,000 jobs gained were in the business sector, whereas employment losses were recorded in all other sectors. The only sector to add employment in December was health and education, which gained 4,000 jobs.
