July 1, 2026

Ottawa County Unemployment Rate for May 2026

Preliminary unemployment rates for May 2026 were recently released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget. Ottawa County had an unemployment rate of 4.2%, an increase from the April rate of 3.4%.

Ottawa County was tied with Allegan County for the 3rd lowest unemployment rate of all Michigan counties in May. Grand Traverse had the lowest unemployment rate at 3.9%. Oscoda County had the highest rate at 9.2%. Michigan’s unemployment rate in May was 5.1%.

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.