County jobless rate steady at 9.3 percent

Ottawa County's jobless rate has remained steady at 9.3 percent from February to March, according to the state's monthly report released Thursday. The total employment for the Holland-Grand Haven metropolitan statistical area, or Ottawa County, rose over from 115,900 in February to 116,500 in March. However, county residents on the unemployment roll edged up from 11,800 to 12,000 in the same period. A year ago, the county's seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 12.9 percent.

Mark Brooky

Ottawa County

Apr 22, 2011

“The regional labor markets throughout the state were stable in March, supported by a rise in payroll job levels in all Michigan metro areas,” said Rick Waclawek, director of the state’s Bureau of Labor Market Information & Strategic Initiatives.

The four-county Grand Rapids metro area rose two-tenths of a point from February to 9.1 percent last month; while the Muskegon labor market fell two-tenths of a point, to 11.1 percent in March.

The state seasonally unadjusted rate remained steady at 11 percent last month. It was 14.2 percent in March 2010.