LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan's unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.2% in May while the number of jobless workers increased for a third straight month.

Figures released Wednesday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget show the state's seasonally adjusted jobless rate was six-tenths of a percentage point higher than last month's national unemployment rate of 3.6%.

Total employment was unchanged in May while the number of jobless workers increased by 5,000. The department says the 207,000 unemployed workers last month was the state's highest total since April 2018.

Director Jason Palmer of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives says the increase Michigan's jobless rate last month "reflected an increase in unemployment and a decrease in payroll jobs."

