Department of Workforce Development
| We've got NEWS |
|---|
| Friday, July 23, 1999 Governor Tommy G. Thompson Secretary Linda Stewart | News Media Contact DWD News Office 608/264-6811 e-mail: news@dwd.state.wi.us fax: 608/266-1784 |
For more information contact:
August Cibarich, 608/266-0522
Unemployment rate drops to 2.9 percent
Madison, Wis. –Wisconsin’s unemployment rate dropped to 2.9 percent in mid-June, which ties the lowest rate in the state’s history, according to preliminary data released today by the State Department of Workforce Development.
"This is a continued record of economic strength and stability," said Orlando Canto, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Workforce Development.
The 2.9 percent unemployment rate ties the lowest recorded rate for any month since seasonally adjusted record keeping began in 1960.
The 2.9 percent unemployment rate was recorded only three other months--in April 1998, January 1969, and October 1966.
Wisconsin’s seasonally–adjusted unemployment rate dropped five-tenths of a percentage point from May’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.4 percent.
Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, and the state’s unemployment rate has been below the national average every month since January 1988.
Each year as the summer vacation period begins, extensive labor changes occur, but this year changes were smaller than normal. Unemployment increased by only 1,100 while the number of people employed increased by 53,500, which was also a smaller than normal amount for the month of June.
In June, seasonally-adjusted figures show that 2,954,200 were in the state’s labor force and 2,869,000 were employed in the state.
The total number of nonfarm wage and salary jobs or payroll jobs increased by 24,800 over the month to 2,780,900.
The manufacturing industry has experienced a loss of 8,300 over the year. This loss represented 1.3 percent of the industry loss in Wisconsin. The nation experienced a loss at 2.3 percent.
Construction employment declined by 2,400 over the month after seasonal adjustment. However, construction employment is up 4,400 over the year according to unadjusted figures.
All other major industry groups experienced job gains over the year. The state had job gains of 21,400 over the year or a gain of .8 percent. The national gain was 2.2 percent.
The service industry reported strong job growth over the month after seasonal adjustment, gaining 2,500 jobs. Since last June, employment growth in the service industry has increased by 12,700 before adjustment.
The transportation and public utilities also reported growth of 100 over the month after adjustment to 129,200.
Seasonally-adjusted unemployment rates were down all 11 of the Wisconsin’s largest urban areas over the month, and ranged from 1.3 percent in Madison to 4.3 percent in Racine. Nine of the eleven metropolitan areas had rates that were lower than the rates from the previous year.
The rate for a 12th area, Duluth-Superior, rose over the month from 3.4 percent to 4.2 percent. It was down from the year-ago May rate of 4.6 per cent. Only unadjusted data is available for that area from the Minnesota Department of Economic Security and is not comparable to seasonally-adjusted rates in Wisconsin.
The complete text of the Department’s announcement and supporting data, as well as other labor market information, is available to the public on the agency’s Web site at <http://www.dwd.state.wi.us>. Select "news releases." Historical and other related labor market data is available by selecting "labor market information."
(end)
Employment and Labor Force
| Unadjusted estimates | June 1999 | May 1999 | June 1998 |
Total labor force | 3,023,200 | 2,968,500 | 3,015,500 |
Employed | 2,929,900 | 2,876,400 | 2,909,000 |
Unemployed | 93,300 | 92,200 | 106,400 |
Wis. Unemployment Rate | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
U.S. Unemployment Rate | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
| Seasonally adjusted | June 1999 | May 1999 | June 1998 |
Total labor force | 2,954,200 | 2,973,800 | 2,945,900 |
Employed | 2,869,700 | 2,873,500 | 2,848,100 |
Unemployed | 84,500 | 100,300 | 97,800 |
Wis. Unemployment | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
U.S. Unemployment | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| *Metro National rank May 1999 | Unemployment | June | May | June |
9th | Wisconsin | 2.9% | 3.4% | 3.3% |
52nd | Appleton-Oshkosh | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.9 |
144th | Eau Claire | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.2 |
59th | Green Bay | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
167th | Janesville-Beloit | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
144th | Kenosha | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
67th | La Crosse | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.8 |
3rd | Madison | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
144th | Milwaukee-Waukesha | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
253rd | Racine | 4.3 | 4.9 | 3.9 |
30th | Sheboygan | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
78th | Wausau | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 |
Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Non-Farm Wage & Salary
In Thousands
June | May | Year | +/- | +/– | |
| NONFARM WAGE & SALARY | 2780.9 | 2756.1 | 2759.5 | 24.8 | 21.4 |
| MANUFACTURING | 618.0 | 609.7 | 626.3 | 8.3 | -8.3 |
| DURABLE GOODS . | 378.7 | 374.5 | 384.3 | 4.2 | -5.6 |
| Lumber and Wood Products | 33.1 | 32.1 | 32.5 | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| Furniture and Fixtures | 17.6 | 17.4 | 18.1 | 0.2 | -0.5 |
| Stone, Clay & Glass Products | 11.5 | 11.1 | 11.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Primary Metal Industries | 25.4 | 25.2 | 25.9 | 0.2 | -0.5 |
| Fabricated Metal Products | 68.6 | 67.9 | 70.0 | 0.7 | -1.4 |
| Nonelectrical Machinery | 114.4 | 113.4 | 116.5 | 1.0 | -2.1 |
| Electrical Machinery | 44.8 | 44.6 | 46.8 | 0.2 | -2.0 |
| Transportation Equipment . | 34.4 | 34.0 | 33.4 | 0.4 | 1.0 |
| Prof., Scient. & Control Instr | 18.3 | 18.1 | 18.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 10.6 | 10.6 | 11.5 | 0.0 | -0.9 |
| NONDURABLE GOODS | 239.3 | 235.2 | 242.0 | 4.1 | -2.7 |
| Food and Kindred Products | 64.6 | 62.7 | 65.5 | 1.9 | -0.9 |
| Textile Mill Products | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 0.0 | -0.3 |
| Apparel & Other Finished Products | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Paper and Allied Products. | 53.0 | 52.2 | 54.0 | 0.8 | -1.0 |
| Printing, Publishing & Allied | 55.6 | 54.9 | 55.7 | 0.7 | -0.1 |
| Chemicals and Allied Products | 15.2 | 15.1 | 15.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Rubber & Misc. Plastic Products | 37.5 | 37.1 | 37.8 | 0.4 | -0.3 |
| Leather & Leather Products | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 0.0 | -0.5 |
| All Other Nondurable Goods | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| MINING | 2.8 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 0.1 | -0.3 |
| CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION | 125.8 | 121.3 | 121.4 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| TRANS, COMM, ELEC, GAS | 129.2 | 129.1 | 129.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| TRADE | 623.9 | 616.0 | 620.0 | 7.9 | 3.9 |
| WHOLESALE TRADE | 140.9 | 139.2 | 138.7 | 1.7 | 2.2 |
| RETAIL TRADE | 483.0 | 476.9 | 481.3 | 6.1 | 1.7 |
| FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL ESTATE | 149.1 | 147.5 | 144.9 | 1.6 | 4.2 |
| SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS | 734.7 | 722.1 | 720.5 | 12.6 | 14.2 |
| GOVERNMENT | 397.5 | 407.6 | 394.4 | -10.1 | 3.1 |
| FEDERAL | 29.6 | 29.5 | 29.7 | 0.1 | -0.1 |
| STATE | 95.2 | 101.9 | 92.6 | -6.7 | 2.6 |
| LOCAL | 272.7 | 276.2 | 272.1 | -3.5 | 0.6 |
| PERSONS INVOLVED IN L-M DISPUTES | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Maps of June 1999 Unemployment Rates by County
Unemployment by County
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||