Lenawee County's unemployment rate reported at 4.3% in August

David Panian, The Daily Telegram
·2 min read

ADRIAN — Lenawee County's unemployment rate improved by more than a percentage point in August.

The improvement from 5.5% in July to 4.3% in August was the largest in the region, according to data from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget. It is also an improvement from August 2021 when the county's jobless rate was 5.8%.

The state's unemployment rate in August was 4%, down from 4.3% in July and 6.1% in August 2021.

“Michigan regions demonstrated typical seasonal jobless rate reductions in August,” Wayne Rourke, associate director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, said in a news release. “Employment levels continued to display positive growth trends over the year.”

Seventy-seven of the state's 83 counties saw their jobless rates decline in August, and 78 had lower rates in August 2022 than they had in August 2021, the state said.

Lenawee County's neighboring Michigan counties also saw their unemployment rates decline. Hillsdale County went from 4.8% in July to 4.2% in August, Jackson County dropped from 5% to 4.5%, Washtenaw County went from 4% to 3.5%, and Monroe County fell from 5.4% to 4.6%.

According to state data, Lenawee County's workforce grew by 554 in August to 44,892. There were 42,940 people counted as employed, up from 41,925 in July, meanwhile 1,952 were listed as unemployed compared to 2,413 in July.

The monthly survey of employers indicated that Michigan not seasonally adjusted payroll employment edged up by 9,000, or 0.2%, over the month, resulting in an August payroll job total of 4,367,000. Increases in statewide industries such as manufacturing, which added 7,000, and government, which also was up 7,000, were partially offset by declines in sectors like professional and business services, which lost 3,000, and leisure and hospitality, which was down 2,000.

At a glance

The state of Michigan released the following unemployment rates for area counties in August:

  • Hillsdale County: 4.2%

  • Jackson County: 4.5%

  • Lenawee County: 4.3%

  • Monroe County: 4.6%

  • Washtenaw County: 3.5%

SOURCE: Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Lenawee County's unemployment rate drops in August