Ann Arbor area unemployment rate was Michigan's lowest in January

Washtenaw County had the lowest unemployment rate among Michigan's 83 counties in January, according to statistics released today by Michigan's Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth.

The region's unemployment rate edged upward from 9.2 percent in December to 9.3 percent in January, but that was notably better than most of the state. Seventy-six counties reported increases in their unemployment rates with a average uptick of 0.7 points.

State officials had previously reported that December's unemployment rate in the Ann Arbor area was 9 percent -- but they've since adjusted those figures based on a yearly analysis.

The Ann Arbor region's jobless rate was up from 7.0 percent in January 2009 as the number of unemployed workers increased from 12,900 to 16,800 in January 2010. The number of jobs in Washtenaw County slipped from 171,900 in January 2009 to 164,600 in January 2010.

Michigan's unemployment rate in January was 14.3 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 9.7 percent.

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