WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
February’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County, and its neighboring counties, was lower than the rate in January.
The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, which showed the county’s drop in unemployment, was released last week.
St. Joseph County’s 5.2 percent unemployment rate for February was down from 5.8 percent the previous month.
Meanwhile, Cass County experienced a drop from 6.1 percent in January to 5.6 percent in February.
The largest monthly drop was in Branch County, which went from 6 percent in January to 4 .9 percent a month later.
Michigan’s unemployment rate for February was 5.1 percent, a 1 percent drop from January’s figure of 6.1 percent.
Of course they are not accurately reflecting those who are under-employed, forced to work part-time jobs, those working for less than a living wage plus a whole lot of other people who have been forced out of employment by life circumstances.
Who is counted as employed? People are considered employed if they did ANY work at all for pay or profit during the survey reference week. This includes all part-time and temporary work, as well as regular full-time, year-round employment. Individuals also are counted as employed if they have a job at which they did not work during the survey week, whether they were paid or not, because they were: On vacation, too ill to work, Experiencing child care problems. On maternity or paternity leave. Taking care of some other family or personal obligation, Involved in a labor dispute, Prevented from working by bad weather.
Not what you call an accurate or logical reflection of reality.