Washtenaw County's unemployment rate slips to 6.2 percent

Washtenaw County's unemployment rate fell from 7.0 percent in March to 6.2 percent in April, according to statistics released Thursday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

The number of jobs based in the county grew 1,800 from March to April and the number of employed county residents rose by 100.

The unemployment rate was down from 8.1 percent in April 2010.

The Ann Arbor region's professional and business services sector added 500 jobs over the last month. The trade, transportation and utilities sector also added 500 jobs, fueled in part by "higher than normal" gains among retailers.

At 6.2 percent, Washtenaw has the lowest unemployment rate among Michigan's 83 counties. Nearby Livingston (9.3 percent) is 18th, Oakland (9.7 percent) is 23rd and Wayne (12 percent) is 52nd.

Michigan's unemployment rate in April was 10.1 percent, down from 12.9 percent in April 2010.

Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.