06/27/2006

Summer season brings more jobs

By Bill O'Brien

bobrien@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — The ranks of jobless workers in northern Michigan dipped significantly last month, thanks to the onset of the summer tourism and construction seasons.

The unemployment rate for the 10-county northwest Michigan area fell to 5.9 percent in May, down from April's 7.7 percent figure and the lowest regional jobless rate since October. It also bettered the May 2005 rate of 6.5 percent, according to the state's Department of Labor and Economic Growth.

"Seasonal gains in construction and tourism-related industries gave a boost to employment throughout the state," said Rick Waclawek, director of the state's Bureau of Labor Market Information. May unemployment rates fell in all 17 of Michigan's major labor markets, led by northeast lower Michigan, where total employment figures increased by nearly 25 percent.

The leisure and hospitality field picked up around 19,000 jobs around the state last month, officials estimated, while the construction trade added another 13,000. Job growth over the past year has also been strong in the health care, professional business services and in retail. The number of manufacturing jobs continues to decline in major metropolitan areas.

Most northern Michigan counties also saw a noticeable drop in jobless rates last month. Leelanau had the lowest county unemployment rate in Michigan at 3.7 percent. The highest area rate was Manistee County's 7.3 percent.

The seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate for the state was 5.8 percent, down from April's 6.8 percent rate and last May's 6.7 percent.

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