May unemployment up over April’s numbers

The May unemployment rate in St. Joseph County increased by two-tenths 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 3.6 percent May unemployment rate was greater than April’s 3.4 percent.
However, May’s unemployment rate was 1.2 percent less than the same month one year earlier, when the figure was 4.8 percent.
St. Joseph County remained below the state unemployment average, which was 4.5 percent in May.
The agency said the number of people looking for jobs during the month outpaced available job openings from mostly seasonal hiring in construction, leisure and hospitality fields, as well as business and professional fields.
At 3.4 percent, Allegan County had the region’s lowest unemployment rate in May, while Van Buren County had the highest, at 4.9 percent.