LANSING — Michigan's unemployment rate rose by four-tenths of a percentage point to 4.3 percent in September as the number of people in the workforce rose by 17,000.

Figures released Wednesday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget show the state's September unemployment rate was one-tenth of a percentage point above the national rate but was seven-tenths of a percentage point below the state's September 2016 rate of 5.0 percent.

Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives Director Jason Palmer says the size of the workforce increased for the first time since April as a relatively large number of people entered the labor market, but many did not immediately find work.

The department says September marked the second consecutive month that Michigan recorded an increase in its unemployment rate.