North Dakota’s unemployment rate sees slight increase

BISMARCK (AP) — North Dakota’s unemployment is still far below the national average, but the rate has increased slightly in the Bismarck area.

North Dakota Job Service statistics show that unemployment for December rose a half-percent from 2.7 percent to 3.2 percent. That matches the overall state rate.

“The uptick in the unemployment rate is a seasonal or regular effect,” said Michael Ziesch, labor market information center for the job service. “In fact, it’s more gentle than normal.”

That’s in part because the mild winter meant that the construction and hospitality industries could work longer into winter than usual, Ziesch told the Bismarch Tribune for a Sunday story.

The region’s highest unemployment rate was 7.3 percent in Mercer County, followed by Kidder County at 7 percent and Emmons County at 6.3 percent. The lowest was in Burleigh County at 2.9 percent. In Morton County, the rate rose to 4 percent from 3.5 percent.

The national unemployment rate is 8.5 percent.

Ziesch said that North Dakota’s rate will likely be driven back down in April, when many workers who were temporarily laid off will return to their jobs.

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