Jobless Rate Increase in Lakes Area

Following an improvement in the employment picture for October in Crow Wing County, the jobless rate shot up in November.

The jobless picture spiked nearly two percentage points from 7.5 to 9.4 percent.  That was up from last November when the rate was pegged at 9.1 percent.  The number is still well below March of 2009, when 12.5 percent of the workforce was without a job in the Brainerd area. 

The news wasn't any better for neighboring counties.  Cass County saw it's unemployment numbers jump from 8.6 to 11.5 percent.  Aitkin County was up to 9.5 percent, and Morrison County was up to 8.9 percent.