Tuesday, September 30, 1997 Governor Secretary |
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Unemployment in August improved to 3.6 percent from 3.8 percent in July. Nationally, unemployment went up marginally to 4.9 percent from 4.8.
Since July, 14,300 workers left the ranks of the unemployed; unemployment usually goes down in August but this time the improvement was one-third more than usual.
Manufacturing jobs are up 5,500 from July for an all-time record 616,400. Food processing accounted for 2,100 of that one-month increase. Employers added another 1,600 jobs making non-electrical machinery.
Bruce Hagen, deputy secretary of the Department of Workforce Development, said "employers are eager to hire and, in many cases, train workers who are ready to work."
Job openings received through all state Job Centers and Job Service offices in July and August were up by 40 percent. During the last 12 months, employers gave the state's job matching system 28,727 more job openings than in the previous 12 months - a 27 percent increase.
Jobs appear to be growing faster than workers to fill them. Growth in the total labor force has slowed in recent months, said August Cibarich, DWD chief labor economist. At the current pace, 1997 will show a gain of 27,600 workers compared to an annual average of 56,100 so far in the 1990s. Demographics - a slowdown in births - is one reason; the already-high participation of Wisconsin's population in the workforce is another, Cibarich said.
Madison in July had the nation's second-lowest unemployment, second only to Sioux Falls, S.D.; the state ranked 12th.
Unadjusted estimates | August 1997 | previous month | in last 12 months |
| Total labor force | 2,966,200 | -35,100 | +7,500 |
| Employed | 2,870,600 | -20,800 | +3,400 |
| Unemployed | 95,600 | -14,300 | +4,100 |
| Wis. Unemployment | 3.2% | 3.7% | 3.1% |
| U.S. Unemployment | 4.8% | 5.0% | 5.1% |
| Seasonally adjusted | August 1997 | previous month | in last 12 months |
| Total labor force | 2,933,900 | +2,300 | +7,700 |
| Employed | 2,828,200 | +7,300 | +3,900 |
| Unemployed | 105,700 | -5,000 | +3,800 |
| Wis. Unemployment | 3.6% | 3.8% | 3.5% |
| U.S. Unemployment | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| July U.S. rank* | Unemployment % seasonally adjusted | August 1997 | July 1997 | August 1996 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.5 |
| 46 | Appleton-Oshkosh | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.7 |
| 61 | Eau Claire | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.6 |
| 61 | Green Bay | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.0 |
| 191 | Janesville-Beloit | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.4 |
| 226 | Kenosha | 3.5 | 4.8 | 3.5 |
| 36 | La Crosse | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.9 |
| 2 | Madison | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 |
| 118 | Milwaukee-Waukesha | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
| 200 | Racine | 4.3 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| 36 | Sheboygan | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.1 |
| 61 | Wausau | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
* of 276 metro areas or 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. State IS seasonally adjusted; metro areas are not. Lower is better. | ||||
Rank County this last Rank County this last
month month/rank month month/rank
22 Adams 4.0% 4.5% 23 46 Marathon 3.0% 3.2% 52
4 Ashland 6.0% 6.8% 4 19 Marinette 4.3% 4.8% 18
40 Barron 3.2% 3.6% 42 25 Marquette 3.9% 4.2% 28
12 Bayfield 4.9% 5.0% 14 1 Menominee 10.3 11.2 1
49 Brown 2.9% 3.2% 50 16 Milwaukee 4.4% 4.9% 16
51 Buffalo 2.8% 3.2% 49 15 Monroe 4.5% 4.6% 22
37 Burnett 3.4% 3.7% 39 14 Oconto 4.5% 5.1% 13
57 Calumet 2.6% 3.0% 59 42 Oneida 3.1% 3.4% 44
53 Chippewa 2.7% 3.1% 55 62 Outagamie 2.5% 2.8% 64
23 Clark 3.9% 4.6% 20 71 Ozaukee 2.2% 2.3% 71
31 Columbia 3.6% 3.8% 36 34 Pepin 3.4% 4.1% 30
41 Crawford 3.1% 3.6% 41 68 Pierce 2.2% 3.2% 48
72 Dane 1.5% 1.7% 72 55 Polk 2.6% 3.3% 45
47 Dodge 3.0% 3.2% 53 8 Portage 5.2% 4.1% 32
38 Door 3.3% 3.8% 35 32 Price 3.5% 4.4% 24
11 Douglas 5.0% 4.8% 19 20 Racine 4.2% 5.4% 11
66 Dunn 2.4% 2.7% 67 44 Richland 3.0% 3.6% 40
45 Eau 3.0% 3.3% 47 28 Rock 3.7% 5.3% 12
6 Florence 5.3% 6.8% 3 7 Rusk 5.3% 6.5% 5
50 Fond Du 2.9% 3.2% 51 61 Sauk 2.5% 2.9% 61
18 Forest 4.3% 5.5% 9 21 Sawyer 4.0% 4.8% 17
13 Grant 4.8% 6.2% 8 30 Shawano 3.6% 3.9% 34
54 Green 2.6% 3.4% 43 64 Sheboygan 2.4% 2.8% 62
36 Green 3.4% 3.7% 38 70 St. Croix 2.2% 2.4% 70
69 Iowa 2.2% 2.7% 66 39 Taylor 3.2% 4.3% 26
5 Iron 5.6% 7.3% 2 27 Trempeale 3.9% 4.1% 31
26 Jackson 3.9% 4.2% 29 29 Vernon 3.7% 4.3% 27
65 Jefferson 2.4% 2.8% 63 58 Vilas 2.6% 2.6% 69
2 Juneau 6.1% 6.5% 6 60 Walworth 2.5% 3.0% 57
33 Kenosha 3.4% 6.2% 7 17 Washburn 4.4% 4.6% 21
43 Kewaunee 3.1% 3.2% 54 67 Washingto 2.4% 2.6% 68
56 La Crosse 2.6% 3.0% 58 63 Waukesha 2.5% 2.8% 65
35 Lafayette 3.4% 3.9% 33 48 Waupaca 2.9% 3.3% 46
3 Langlade 6.1% 5.0% 15 10 Waushara 5.0% 5.5% 10
24 Lincoln 3.9% 4.4% 25 52 Winnebago 2.8% 3.0% 60
59 Manitowoc 2.5% 3.0% 56 9 Wood 5.2% 3.8% 37