KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Southwest Michigan First says it’s happy to see Kalamazoo County’s unemployment rate at 3.7 percent.
Chief Executive Officer Ron Kitchens says the local numbers are even better for those with a degree.
“If you’re college educated, essentially, it’s less than one percent,” Kitchens said.
New employment opportunities are driving the rate lower.
“When you look at the last five years or so, it’s 36,650 net new jobs,” Kitchens said. “So, those are real jobs that real people and real families have.”
The statewide average is 4.5 percent. The county rate was fractionally higher at the same time last year.
