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News Release: WIsconsin Unemployment Rate Ties All-Time Low
We've got NEWS
Tuesday, September 28, 1999
Governor
Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary
Linda Stewart
News Media Contact
Heidi Kafura
608/264-6811
e-mail: news@dwd.state.wi.us
fax: 608/266-1784

For more information contact:
August Cibarich, 608/266-0522

STATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE TIES ALL-TIME LOW

MADISON—Wisconsin’s unemployment rate dropped to a historic low of 2.9 percent in the month of August, which ties the lowest rate in the state’s history, according to preliminary data released today by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD).

In addition, the Madison metropolitan area was tied with Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the nation’s lowest unemployment rate in July before adjustment.  This is the second consecutive month the Madison area had the lowest unemployment rate of the 329 metropolitan statistical areas.

"Wisconsin’s economic strength is benefiting families throughout the state," said Orlando Canto, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Workforce Development.  "Our challenge is to find workers for available jobs. In the long term, this will have an effect on employment growth in the state."

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 this June and also in April 1998, January 1969, and October 1966.

The August seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate at 2.9 percent remained almost unchanged from last month’s record tying low of 2.9 percent. It is also a decline of six tenths of a percent over last years 3.5 percent unemployment rate.

The nation’s rate declined one-tenth of a percent to 4.2% in August, which is the latest national rate available. The state’s unemployment rate has been below the national average every month since January 1988.

Wisconsin’s seasonally adjusted labor force and unemployment levels each declined by 900 between July and August. Total employment at 2,875,900 remained unchanged over last month.

The state experienced total employment gains of 21,600 over the year, not seasonally adjusted.  Over the year, the labor force increase was only 6,100, a reflection of the state’s tight labor supply.  Despite the small labor force gain, total employment increased by 21,600.  Unemployment declined by 15,600 as more of our working age population became employed.

Nonfarm wage and salary jobs were up 7,000 over the month when seasonally-adjusted.   The private sector added 5,300 jobs and government increased by 1,700 as the payroll job experienced a gain of 7,000.  The trade industry experienced job gains of 1,600.  The service industry also grew by 2,800 and construction increased by 1,000 after adjustment.

The finance, insurance and real estate industry grouping had an adjusted increase of 400.  Manufacturing and mining activities did not add jobs over the month after adjustment while the transportation, communication and public utilities grouping declined by 400 after adjustment.

Wisconsin nonfarm job gains in August were 27,500.  This was a gain of one percent compared to the national gain of 2.2 percent.

The service industry added the most jobs over the last year with a gain of 16,300 or an increase of 2.3 percent. Nationally, the increase was 3.9 percent.  Other industry gains occurred in trade, construction, government, finance, insurance and real estate.

Nine of the 11 Wisconsin metropolitan areas experienced declines in their unemployment rates over both the month and the year.  Seasonally-adjusted unemployment rates ranged from 1.3 percent in Madison to 4.4 percent in Racine.  Janesville-Beloit experienced the greatest decline with the unemployment rate dropping by 1.3 percentage points.

The rate for a 12th area, Duluth-Superior, declined over the month from 4.3 percent to 3.5 percent.  The year-ago July rate was also 3.5 percent.  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
Household Survey

Unadjusted estimates

August 1999

July 1999

August 1998

Total labor force

2,994,300

3,301,300

2,988,200

Employed

2,916,100

2,942,100

2,894,500

Unemployed

78,100

89,200

93,700

Wis. Unemployment Rate

2.6%

2.9%

3.1%

U.S. Unemployment Rate

4.2%

4.5%

4.5%

 

Seasonally adjusted

August 1999

July 1999

August 1998

Total labor force

2,963,200

2,964,100

2,952,900

Employed

2,875,900

2,875,900

2,850,800

Unemployed

87,300

88,200

102,100

Wis. Unemployment

2.9%

3.0%

3.5%

U.S. Unemployment

4.2%

4.3%

4.5%

 

 

*Metro National rank
July 1999

  
Unemployment
% seasonally adjusted

August
1999

July
1999

August
1998
**9th

Wisconsin

2.9

3.0

3.5

26th

Appleton-Oshkosh

2.2

2.3

2.7

52nd

Eau Claire

2.8

3.1

3.4

33rd

Green Bay

2.3

2.3

2.8

284th

Janesville-Beloit

3.4

4.7

4.0

209th

Kenosha

2.9

3.2

3.4

52nd

La Crosse

3.3

2.8

2.9

1st

Madison

1.3

1.4

1.6

110th

Milwaukee-Waukesha

2.9

3.1

3.5

242nd

Racine

4.4

4.2

4.2

46th

Sheboygan

2.1

2.4

2.4

52nd

Wausau

2.8

3.0

3.6
  • This is the latest available data for the U.S.’s 329 largest metro areas. Urban rankings are NOT seasonally adjusted. Lower is better. Ties are shown only if existing with other Wisconsin urban areas; ties with urban areas in other states are not shown, but are available upon request. Rankings are by the U.S. Labor Department and are based on unadjusted data for the previous month, while the rates shown above for Wisconsin cities are seasonally-adjusted and for the current month.
  • **State ranking is seasonally adjusted for the current month
  • *Metropolitan ranking is not seasonally adjusted and is for the prior month

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Non-Farm Wage & Salary
Employer Survey
In Thousands

 

August
1999

July
1999

Year Ago

+/-
month

+/–
year
NONFARM WAGE & SALARY

2759.6

2756.6

2732.1

3.0

27.5

           
MANUFACTURING

620.2

620.0

628.4

0.2

-8.2

DURABLE GOODS .

376.9

377.6

382.2

-0.7

-5.3

Lumber and Wood Products

33.1

33.5

32.3

-0.4

0.8

Furniture and Fixtures

17.7

17.8

18.1

-0.1

-0.4

Stone, Clay & Glass Products

11.5

11.5

11.5

0.0

0.0

Primary Metal Industries

25.2

25.4

25.6

-0.2

-0.4

Fabricated Metal Products

68.4

68.7

69.8

-0.3

-1.4

Nonelectrical Machinery

112.6

113.0

115.5

-0.4

-2.9

Electrical Machinery

45.0

45.2

46.7

-0.2

-1.7

Transportation Equipment .

34.4

33.6

33.2

0.8

1.2

Prof., Scient. & Control Instr

18.5

18.4

18.2

0.1

0.3

Miscellaneous Manufacturing

10.5

10.5

11.4

0.0

-0.9

           
NONDURABLE GOODS

243.4

242.4

246.2

1.0

-2.8

Food and Kindred Products

69.6

68.3

70.7

1.3

-1.1

Textile Mill Products

2.6

2.6

2.9

0.0

-0.3

Apparel & Other Finished Products

6.4

6.4

6.4

0.0

0.0

Paper and Allied Products.

52.7

53.1

53.6

-0.4

-0.9

Printing, Publishing & Allied

55.2

55.4

55.7

-0.2

-0.5

Chemicals and Allied Products

15.2

15.1

15.0

0.1

0.2

Rubber & Misc. Plastic Products

37.4

37.1

37.3

0.3

0.1

Leather & Leather Products

3.8

3.8

4.3

0.0

-0.5

All Other Nondurable Goods

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.0

0.1

           
MINING

2.9

2.9

3.1

0.0

-0.2

CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION

129.2

128.6

124.4

0.6

4.8

TRANS, COMM, ELEC, GAS

125.5

125.9

125.3

-0.4

0.2

TRADE

624.5

620.6

619.9

3.9

4.6

WHOLESALE TRADE

141.1

141.0

138.7

0.1

2.4

RETAIL TRADE

483.4

479.6

481.2

3.8

2.2

FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL ESTATE

150.1

150.1

145.6

0.0

4.5

SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS

738.5

735.7

722.2

2.8

16.3

           
GOVERNMENT

368.6

372.7

363.2

-4.1

5.4

FEDERAL

29.6

29.6

29.7

0.0

-0.1

STATE

95.0

94.7

93.6

0.3

1.4

LOCAL

244.0

248.4

239.9

-4.4

4.1

           
PERSONS INVOLVED IN L-M DISPUTES

0.0

0.0

0.1

0.0

-0.1

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

 

Maps of August 1999 Unemployment Rates by County

Unemployment by County
August 1999
Not seasonally adjusted

RANK  

COUNTY

 RATE LAST
RATE		 LAST
RANK		 YR
AGO
RATE		 RANK COUNTY RATE LAST
RATE		 LAST
RANK		 YR
AGO
RATE

 

                     

41

 ADAMS

2.5%

2.4%

57

3.4%

46

 MARATHON

2.4%

2.6%

44

3.1%

2

 ASHLAND

5.6%

6.2%

2

7.3%

12

 MARINETTE

3.7%

4.1%

11

5.5%

33

 BARRON

2.6%

2.9%

33

3.3%

29

 MARQUETTE

2.8%

2.9%

38

3.5%

19

 BAYFIELD

3.2%

4.0%

13

4.8%

1

 MENOMINEE

7.1%

8.6%

1

9.4%

54

 BROWN

2.1%

2.3%

62

2.5%

9

 MILWAUKEE

3.9%

4.0%

14

4.5%

55

 BUFFALO

2.1%

2.1%

70

2.1%

4

 MONROE

4.6%

3.4%

24

5.7%

28

 BURNETT

2.8%

3.2%

27

2.9%

14

 OCONTO

3.5%

3.8%

15

4.4%

57

 CALUMET

2.0%

2.4%

53

2.3%

37

 ONEIDA

2.6%

2.8%

39

3.4%

48

 CHIPPEWA

2.3%

2.7%

41

2.9%

53

 OUTAGAMIE

2.1%

2.3%

61

2.3%

17

 CLARK

3.3%

3.7%

17

4.4%

69

 OZAUKEE

1.8%

2.4%

52

2.3%

34

 COLUMBIA

2.6%

2.9%

34

3.2%

38

 PEPIN

2.6%

2.8%

40

3.1%

31

 CRAWFORD

2.7%

2.9%

37

3.5%

68

 PIERCE

1.8%

2.4%

51

2.5%

72

 DANE

1.2%

1.3%

72

1.4%

45

 POLK

2.4%

2.9%

32

2.9%

56

 DODGE

2.0%

2.5%

47

2.5%

30

 PORTAGE

2.7%

3.0%

31

3.9%

50

 DOOR

2.2%

2.4%

56

3.0%

10

 PRICE

3.8%

4.7%

7

4.5%

21

 DOUGLAS

3.1%

3.4%

23

4.8%

6

 RACINE

4.3%

4.9%

6

4.1%

59

 DUNN

2.0%

2.3%

59

2.7%

43

 RICHLAND

2.4%

3.4%

22

2.8%

47

 EAU CLAIRE

2.4%

2.5%

49

2.8%

18

 ROCK

3.2%

6.0%

3

3.7%

5

 FLORENCE

4.4%

5.7%

4

6.1%

23

 RUSK

3.0%

3.5%

20

3.8%

49

 FOND DU LAC

2.3%

2.5%

48

2.6%

70

 SAUK

1.8%

2.0%

71

2.4%

11

 FOREST

3.8%

4.1%

12

6.3%

20

 SAWYER

3.2%

3.5%

21

4.3%

32

 GRANT

2.6%

3.0%

30

3.5%

35

 SHAWANO

2.6%

2.9%

35

3.7%

44

 GREEN

2.4%

3.2%

26

2.7%

64

 SHEBOYGAN

1.9%

2.6%

43

2.3%

66

 GREEN LAKE

1.9%

2.2%

65

3.0%

71

 ST. CROIX

1.6%

2.1%

67

2.4%

60

 IOWA

2.0%

2.3%

60

2.4%

52

 TAYLOR

2.1%

2.4%

55

2.9%

7

 IRON

4.3%

4.6%

8

6.9%

39

 TREMPEALEAU

2.6%

2.6%

45

3.1%

42

 JACKSON

2.5%

2.3%

64

3.5%

13

 VERNON

3.6%

3.3%

25

3.7%

65

 JEFFERSON

1.9%

2.3%

58

2.5%

58

 VILAS

2.0%

2.4%

54

2.5%

3

 JUNEAU

5.3%

5.3%

5

5.6%

63

 WALWORTH

1.9%

2.6%

42

2.2%

25

 KENOSHA

2.9%

4.4%

9

3.3%

16

 WASHBURN

3.4%

3.6%

19

4.8%

51

 KEWAUNEE

2.2%

2.3%

63

2.7%

62

 WASHINGTON

2.0%

2.1%

69

2.5%

24

 LA CROSSE

3.0%

2.5%

50

2.4%

61

 WAUKESHA

2.0%

2.2%

66

2.4%

26

 LAFAYETTE

2.9%

3.1%

28

3.0%

40

 WAUPACA

2.6%

2.6%

46

2.7%

8

 LANGLADE

3.9%

4.3%

10

5.4%

22

 WAUSHARA

3.0%

3.7%

16

4.2%

15

 LINCOLN

3.4%

3.6%

18

3.8%

67

 WINNEBAGO

1.9%

2.1%

68

2.6%

36

 MANITOWOC

2.6%

2.9%

36

2.4%

27

 WOOD

2.9%

3.1%

29

4.1%

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development