Washtenaw County’s unemployment rate edged upward to 6.2 percent in June, up from 5.5 percent in May and 5 percent in April, according to statistics released Thursday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.
The data, which is not seasonally adjusted, cites a seasonal loss in government education-related jobs as the primary factor for the higher unemployment rate.
“Unemployment increased monthly throughout the region due to a seasonal influx of unemployed job seekers entering the summer job market, and due to job reductions of support staff in state government education,” according to the data.
Washtenaw County’s labor force increased by .5 percent in June as job seekers entered the market. At the same time, the county lost 2,800 jobs in the government sector in June, due largely to seasonal cuts.
Annually, the county’s jobless rates have still declined each consecutive year since 2009. The unemployment rate in June 2011 was 7.4 percent, compared with last month’s 6.2 percent.
Washtenaw County’s unemployment rate in June was the second lowest among Michigan’s 83 counties. The lowest in the state was Mackinac County at 4.5 percent. Oakland County's rate was 8.8 percent and Wayne County's was 11.4 percent.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.