County unemployment below state average

The June unemployment rate in St. Joseph County increased by three-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 3.9 percent June unemployment rate was more than May’s 3.6 percent.
However, June’s unemployment rate was seven-tenths of a percent less than the same month one year earlier, when the figure was 4.6 percent.
St. Joseph County remained below the state unemployment average, which was 4.9 percent in June.
The agency said seasonal hiring in the hospitality and leisure fields were offset by temporary layoffs of support staff in the K-through-12 and higher-education fields.
At 3.6 percent, Allegan and Barry counties had the region’s lowest unemployment rate in June, while Van Buren County had the highest, at 5.1 percent.