Unemployment rates are falling in all regions of the state, according to the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
Between March and April of this year, unemployment in the Northwest Lower Michigan region dropped 20.9 percent.
Bill O'Brien with the Traverse City Chamber of Commerce says drops in unemployment rates aren't new — but they create unique complications for the local economy.
"It cuts both ways," he says. "In the service industry, or the more seasonal industries we have [in Northern Michigan], it can be more difficult to fill your staff for the summer months."
As of April, 80 of Michigan's 83 counties showed decreases in jobless rates.