LANSING – Jobless rates went up slightly in January around Southern Michigan.

Data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget says St. Joseph County saw their unemployment go up from 3.8% in December to 4.1% in January. That’s an increase of three-tenths of a percent.

That tied Cass County for the largest increase in the area. Cass County’s jobless rate went from an even 4 percent in December to 4.3% in January.

Branch County and Hillsdale County both saw increases in their January jobless rate of two-tenths of a percent. Branch County went from 3.4% to 3.6% and Hillsdale County increased from 4.1% to 4.3%.

Statewide, the unemployment rate went up one-half of a percent, from 3.5% to an even 4%.

Wayne Rourke, the Labor Market Information Director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics says that all Michigan labor markets exhibited typical seasonal unemployment rate increases in January.