TRAVERSE CITY — Jobless rates crept up across northwest Lower Michigan in November — but Grand Traverse County recorded the state’s lowest unemployment rate for the month among Michigan’s 83 counties.
Unemployment rates for November released last week by the state Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed that Grand Traverse County’s 3.7% jobless rate was the lowest in Michigan by county, although it was up from the county’s 3.4% unemployment rate reported in September. Jobless rates for October were not published by the state because of data collection interruptions created by the 43-day federal government shutdown that ended Nov. 12. Unemployment rates rose from September to November is 13 of Michigan’s 18 labor market areas.
“Employment and workforce declines contributed to unemployment rate gains between September and November,” said Wayne Rourke, labor market director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics, in a state media release. “Payroll job trends were mixed over the month(s).”
The four counties within the Traverse City Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded a 4% jobless rate for November, up from the 3.7% jobless rate for September but down from 4.1% in November 2024. Leelanau, Benzie and Kalkaska counties are also in the Traverse City MSA. Total employment in the four-county area came was at 78,300, which was down slightly from 79,900 in September. The Traverse City MSA was tied for the lowest jobless rate among Michigan’s 18 defined labor markets, joining the MSAs in Ann Arbor and the Grand Rapids areas.
The Northwest Michigan Labor Market Area (LMA) that includes 10 northwest Lower Michigan counties recorded a 4.6% jobless rate for November, up from 4.1% in September and equal to the 4.6% from November 2024. Total employment in the region for the month was 148,800, which was down from 154,000 in September.
The 10-county Northeast Michigan LMA recorded a 6.4% unemployment rate in November, up from 5.3% percent in September but down from 6.4% in November 2024.
Other regional counties and their state ranking in Michigan included Leelanau County at 4.2% (11th), Missaukee at 4.3% (15th), Benzie at 4.9% (33rd), Charlevoix at 4.9% (34th), Wexford at 4.9% (37th), Kalkaska at 5% (39th), Otsego at 5.1% (44th), Emmet at 5.3% (50th), Antrim at 5.5% (56th), Manistee at 5.6% (59th), Crawford at 6% ((63rd), and Cheboygan at 7.6% (78th).
The data represent actual numbers and is not adjusted to reflect typical seasonal job fluctuations.
The state’s data also showed that the Traverse City MSA’s payroll jobs grew 2% from a year ago, highest among Michigan’s MSAs. State-wide payroll jobs — which are seasonally adjusted — rose in eight of Michigan’s 15 metro areas although payroll jobs fell by about 9,000 in November — or 0.2% — because of seasonal declines in the leisure/hospitality and construction sectors.
Statewide, Michigan’s jobless rate increased to 4.9% in November, up from 4.6% in September and up from 4.8% in November 2024. The national unemployment rate for November was 4.6% — a four-year high — and an increase from 4.4% in September.