Jobless rates dropped during the month of August around Southwest Michigan.

Information released from the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives shows the St. Joseph County jobless rate had the biggest drop, going from 6.6% in July to 4.5% in August. That's slightly higher than the County's jobless rate from August 2018 when it was 3.8%.

Branch County dropped from 5% to 4%. Cass County fell from 5.5% to 4.5% while Hillsdale County fell from 5.2% to 4.3%.

Statewide, the jobless rate fell from 5.1% to 4.2%. That's only one-tenth of a percent higher than August 2018 when the statewide rate was 4.1%.

Economic Specialist Leonidas Murembya (mer-EM-BEE-ah) says the initial withdrawal of youth from the summer workforce and the partial recall of schools' support staff resulted in a noticeable fall of unemployment rates around Southwest Michigan.