April 16, 2026

Ottawa County Unemployment Rate for January 2026

Preliminary unemployment rates for December 2026 were recently released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget. Ottawa County had an unemployment rate of 4.3%, an increase from the 3.9% rate of December 2025.

Ottawa County was tied with Washtenaw County as having the 4th lowest unemployment rate of all Michigan counties in January. Grand Traverse, Livingston, and Oakland Counties were tied for the lowest unemployment rate at 4.2%. Mackinac County had the highest rate at 18.9%. Michigan’s unemployment rate in January was 5.6%.

Note: Due to the temporary suspension of federal government services at the time, the 2025 October unemployment rate for Ottawa County is not available.

More unemployment data, including monthly and annual data, is available on Ottawa County’s interactive Unemployment Dashboard. Explore the dashboard on the Department of Strategic Impact’s County Statistics page. You can also view the Unemployment Dashboard directly.

Unemployment data for the entire state is available from the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. The press release from the State of Michigan is also online.