(LANSING) - June unemployment rates dropped from May figures around Southwest Michigan.
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget says St. Joseph County's unemployment rate went down from 5% to 4.8%.
Cass County saw a decrease from 4.9% to 4.7%. Branch County dropped from 4.9% to 4.1%. Hillsdale County saw a decrease from 5.2% to 4.7%.
Wayne Rourke, Labor Market Information Director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics says regional labor force declines contributed to jobless rate decreases across Michigan labor markets over the month. He says payroll jobs advanced across most metro areas during June.
Seventy-nine of Michigan's 83 counties exhibited unemployment rate declines during June, with a median reduction of 0.4%. Jobless rates fell in 76 Michigan counties over the year.