IRON MOUNTAIN — The Upper Peninsula jobless rate rose to 8.4% in February, up from 7.9% in January and 6.8% a year ago, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

The February rate — not seasonally adjusted — was the region’s highest for the month since February 2015, when it was also 8.4%. The number of employed workers in the region rose by an estimated 500 over the month, but the number of jobless increased by 800, DTMB data showed.

The U.P.’s civilian labor force numbered 142,163, in February 2015, or about 1,600 less than currently estimated. The labor force was pegged at 143,800 in February, an increase of 1,300 since January and 4,400 over the year. The number of unemployed was reported at 12,100 in February, up by 2,700 since February 2024.

“Unemployment rates have been trending upward across all regions in the state since this time last year due to a rising number of unemployed workers,” said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. “The size of the state’s labor force and the number of payroll jobs also have increased in both January and February.”

Seventy-one of Michigan’s 83 counties showed higher jobless rates in February, with a median increase of 0.4 percentage points. Unemployment rates were up in every county since February 2024.

Menominee County showed the lowest jobless rate in the U.P. in February at 5.9%, followed by Dickinson and Houghton counties, both at 6.1%. The highest jobless rate in the region and the state was 23% in Mackinac County.

Michigan’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate rose by one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.4% in February. The state rate was 1.3 percentage points above the national rate, which also increased by one-tenth of a percentage point to reach 4.1%. Over the year, the national rate rose by 0.2 percentage points while Michigan’s unemployment rate climbed 1.4 percentage points.

Statewide, on a numerical basis, the most pronounced over-the-year industry job losses occurred in manufacturing, down by 11,000, DTMB data showed. The biggest gain was in private education and health services, up by 23,000.

Regional unemployment rates in the state ranged from 4.5% to 11% in February and the median rate increase since January was 0.3 percentage points.

February unemployment in the western Upper Peninsula: Houghton — 6.1%, Gogebic — 7.1%, Keweenaw — 8.2%, Ontonagon — 8.7%, Baraga — 9.8%, Iron — 10.8%