IRON MOUNTAIN — The Upper Peninsula jobless rate improved slightly in March as the number of jobless workers declined by 300 since February, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

The U.P.’s not seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 8.1% in March was down from 8.4% in February but up from 6.8% in March 2024.

The region’s civilian labor force in March was estimated at 143,800, including 11,700 out of work. That compared with a labor force of 143,500 in February, when 12,000 were unemployed. A year ago, there were 9,500 workers unemployed in a workforce of 140,000, DTMB data showed.

“Michigan’s regional labor markets were relatively stable between February and March although unemployment remained elevated in all areas since last year,” said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics.

Regional unemployment rates in Michigan ranged from 4.7% to 10.3% in March, with a median rate reduction of 0.4 percentage points since February. All 18 Michigan labor market regions displayed unemployment rate gains over the year, with a median rate increase of 1.4 percentage points.

n a numerical basis, the most pronounced industry job gains over the year in Michigan occurred in private education and health services, up by 21,000. The greatest decline was in manufacturing, down by 13,000 since March 2024.

Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose by one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.5% in March. The national rate also nudged up by one-tenth of a percentage point to reach 4.2%. The state rate is up 1.3 percentage points over the year compared with a rise of 0.3 percentage points in the national rate.

The jobless rate in Delta County was 7.9 percent and 12.1 percent in Schoolcraft County.

Menominee County had the lowest jobless rate in the U.P. in March at 5.4%, followed by Dickinson County’s 5.8% rate. The highest rate in the U.P. and the state was Mackinac County at 22%.

MARCH UNEMPLOYMENT

Menominee – 5.4%

Dickinson -5.8%

Gogebic – 6.7%

Houghton – 6.7%

Marquette – 7.2%

Keweenaw – 7.3%

Delta – 7.9%

Ontonagon – 8.8%

Baraga – 9.3%

Chippewa – 9.3%

Iron – 9.7%

Luce – 9.7%

Alger – 11.7%

Schoolcraft – 12.1%

Mackinac – 22%

U.P. – 8.1%

Michigan – 5.7%