Jobless rates rose in Michigan and the U.S. in May but jobless rates continued to improve in May for most rural Michigan counties
MARQUETTE -- Almost all of the rural counties in Michigan contributed to a declining unemployment rate in the month of May.
New jobless numbers released late last week show Michigan counties with universities saw an increase in jobless rates, which is not totally unexpected. However, counties dominant in manufacturing continued to see improvement and see better rates than the state.
The state of Michigan as a whole is still among those with the highest unemployment rates in the country.
"It's a little guarded optimism here in that sometimes we get a little immune to how high the unemployment rates have been, but nonetheless, what we are starting to see is trending," says Dennis West, President of Northern Initiatives. "I think we're starting to see a more competitive lending environment again, so there's a lot of reasons to think that things are on the mend."
West also predicts that the second half of the year should be better for unemployment numbers, especially in counties reliant on tourism.
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