Seasonally unadjusted jobless rates dropped in October over the last year in all of the state's labor markets.
The state Department of Technology, Management and Budget says total employment is up over the last month and the last year in 12 of Michigan's 17 regions. The jobless rate in the Kalamazoo labor market was 4.9%, down from 7.1% in October of last year. The Battle Creek labor market's unemployment rate was 5.1% in October, compared to 7.1% in the same period of last year.