ESCANABA - The seasonally-unadjusted unemployment rate in the Upper Peninsula in February fell to 11.8 percent, a drop of three-tenths of a percentage point from the January rate of 12.1 percent.
Delta County's rate dropped slightly from 12.4 percent in January to 12 percent in February; with a civilian work force of 18,700, 2,250 were unemployed in February.
During February, all but one of the 15 Upper Peninsula counties reported jobless rate reductions, averaging a drop of 0.5 of a percentage point for the month. Marquette County posted no rate change during February, holding steady at 9.5 percent. Among the counties showing rate decreases, Ontonagon County experienced the largest drop of -1.4 percentage points, followed by Menominee and Schoolcraft counties, both down by -0.7 of a percentage point.
Of a work force of 12,200 in Menominee County, 1,125 are unemployed; of 3,850 in Schoolcraft County, 600 are unemployed.
The lowest unemployment rate in the Upper Peninsula during February was reported by Menominee County at 9.3 percent, followed by Marquette and Houghton counties with 9.5 and 9.9 percent, respectively.
The highest jobless rate in Michigan was registered by Mackinac County at 25.3 percent.
Fact Box
February jobless rates
Delta County - 12 percent
Schoolcraft County - 15.5 percent
Menominee County - 9.3 percent
Upper Peninsula - 11.8
Michigan - 11 percent
United States - 9.5 percent
Approximately 1,250 residents of Mackinac County's civilian work force of 5,000, were unemployed. Baraga County (21.7 percent) and Ontonagon County (17.4 percent) also recorded elevated rates of unemployment.
Compared to a year ago, the unemployment rate in the Upper Peninsula has fallen by 2.3 percentage points.
During the year, jobless rates declined throughout the Upper Peninsula (with the exception of Ontonagon County), averaging a drop of more than -2.5 percentage points. The largest rate reductions were reported by Baraga County (-5.2 percentage points), Mackinac County (-3.7 percentage points) and Menominee County (-3.1 percentage points). Ontonagon County joblessness remains above year-ago levels due to layoffs in the manufacturing sector.
The Upper Peninsula's seasonally unadjusted February 2011 jobless rate of 11.8 percent was slightly above Michigan's rate of 11.0 percent, and higher than the national rate of 9.5.