Unemployment increased

The December unemployment rate in St. Joseph County increased by one-tenth of a percent compared to a month earlier.

The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 7.3 percent December unemployment rate was more than November’s 7.2 percent.

December’s unemployment rate was three-tenths of a percent less than the same month one year earlier, when the figure was 7.6 percent.

St. Joseph County remained below the state unemployment average, which was 7.7 percent in December.

At 5.4 percent, Barry County had the region’s lowest unemployment rate in December, while VanBuren County had the highest, with 8.9 percent.