LANSING – Just Minnesota and Wisconsin had lower unemployment rates than Michigan and New York among the Great Lakes states in March, figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show.
The March numbers also show that 23 states had jobless rates higher than Michigan, including four in the Great Lakes region: Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
Michigan’s March seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, unchanged from February, though the state saw a large number of people get jobs. The total labor force also increased during the month.
Alaska had the highest unemployment rate at 6.6 percent, followed by West Virginia and Illinois, both at 6.5 percent. Mississippi saw a 6.3 percent jobless rate, while Alabama and New Mexico both at 6.2 percent. Louisiana had a jobless rate of 6.1 percent.
Washington and Nevada both had 5.8 percent jobless rates in March, with Connecticut and South Carolina at 5.7 percent, followed by Kentucky at 5.6 percent, Georgia and North Carolina at 5.5 percent, then three states – Arizona, California and Rhode Island – at 5,4 percent, Wyoming was at 5.2 percent, Ohio at 5.1 percent and then Indiana at 5 percent.
Pennsylvania and Florida were both at 4.9 percent.
Among the Great Lakes States, the only states lower than Michigan and New York were Wisconsin at 4.5 percent and Minnesota at 3.7 percent.
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