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Wisconsin News Release: State's Employment Picture Remains Strong
We've got NEWS
Tuesday, November 23, 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’S EMPLOYMENT PICTURE REMAINS STRONG
Jobless rate below 3.0 percent for third consecutive month

MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October was 2.8 percent, marking the third consecutive month that the rate has been below 3.0 percent.

The 2.8 percent October rate is the second lowest rate in the state’s history since seasonally adjusted record keeping began in 1960 and is sharply lower than last year’s rate of 3.6 percent.  Last month, Wisconsin posted an all-time low unemployment rate of 2.6 percent.

"The strength of Wisconsin’s economy is something for which we can be truly grateful this year," said DWD Deputy Secretary Orlando Canto.  "Seventy-one of the state’s 72 counties have lower unemployment rates this year than they did last year."

The October rate is the lowest rate for the month in state history.  The previous October low was 2.9 percent posted in 1966.  The nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percent to 4.1 percent in October.

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has been below the national average since January 1988.  In addition, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate before adjustment was 2.3 percent and compares to a rate of 3.1 percent posted last October.

Wisconsin posted the eighth lowest unemployment rate in the nation with a seasonally adjusted rate of 2.8 percent.  And, the state’s unadjusted rate of 2.3 percent rate is the seventh lowest rate in the nation.

Nonfarm employment grew by a seasonally adjusted 4,200 jobs in October to 2,747,800.   October job growth was mostly due to new jobs in the service, trade and government industry groups.

There were 2,774,900 job holders in the state in October, and Wisconsin employers reported job growth of 27,200, in the last 12 months before adjustment, not including farming and other self-employment.

All 11 of Wisconsin’s major urban areas remained unchanged or experienced declines in their jobless rates in October from the previous year.  The Madison, Appleton-Oshkosh and Sheboygan metro areas had rates at or below 2.0 percent and six metro areas had rates below three percent.

The rate for a 12th area, Duluth-Superior, declined over the month from 3.4 percent to 2.6 percent.  The year-ago October rate was also 3.2 percent.  Only unadjusted data is available for that area from the Minnesota Department of Economic Security and is not directly 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

Oct. 1999

Sept. 1999

Oct. 1998

Total labor force

2,959,900

2,943,600

2,967,000

Employed

2,892,900

2,884,300

2,875,700

Unemployed

67,000

59,200

91,300

Wis. Unemployment Rate

2.3%

2.0%

3.1%

U.S. Unemployment Rate

3.8%

4.1%

4.2%

 

Seasonally adjusted

Oct. 1999

Sept. 1999

Oct. 1998

Total labor force

2,963,600

2,948,500

2,969,400

Employed

2,881,400

2,872,800

2,862,600

Unemployed

82,200

75,700

106,800

Wis. Unemployment Rate

2.8%

2.6%

3.6%

U.S. Unemployment Rate

4.1%

4.2%

4.5%

 

* Metro National rank
Sept. 1999

Unemployment
% seasonally adjusted

October
1999

September
1999

October
1998

**  8th

Wisconsin

2.8

2.6

3.6

11th

Appleton-Oshkosh

2.0

1.9

 2.8
11th

Eau Claire

2.5

2.2

 3.4

12th

Green Bay

2.2

1.9

2.9

82nd

Janesville-Beloit

3.7

3.0

4.5

57th

Kenosha

2.8

2.7

3.4

57th

La Crosse

3.1

2.9

3.1

1st

Madison

1.2

1.1

1.6

57th

Milwaukee-Waukesha

2.8

2.4

3.7

153rd

Racine

3.9

3.9

4.5

4th

Sheboygan

1.8

1.6

2.5

17th

Wausau

2.7

2.4

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

 

October
1999

September
1999

Year Ago

+/-
month

+/–
year
NONFARM WAGE & SALARY

2774.9

2764.4

2747.7

10.5

27.2

           
MANUFACTURING

610.5

613.8

615.0

-3.3

-4.5

DURABLE GOODS .

375.2

375.0

376.6

0.2

-1.4

Lumber and Wood Products

32.2

32.3

31.4

-0.1

0.8

Furniture and Fixtures

17.5

17.5

17.7

0.0

-0.2

Stone, Clay & Glass Products

11.3

11.3

11.2

0.0

0.1

Primary Metal Industries

25.2

25.1

25.4

0.1

-0.2

Fabricated Metal Products

67.4

67.8

68.6

-0.4

-1.2

Nonelectrical Machinery

112.4

112.6

113.9

-0.2

-1.5

Electrical Machinery

44.9

44.8

45.8

0.1

-0.9

Transportation Equipment .

34.9

34.8

32.8

0.1

2.1

Prof., Scient. & Control Instr

18.4

18.4

18.1

0.0

0.3

Miscellaneous Manufacturing

11.0

10.3

11.8

0.7

-0.8

           
NONDURABLE GOODS

235.3

238.9

238.4

-3.6

-3.1

Food and Kindred Products

65.4

68.3

65.1

-2.9

0.3

Textile Mill Products

2.5

2.6

2.8

-0.1

-0.3

Apparel & Other Finished Products

6.2

6.1

6.4

0.1

-0.2

Paper and Allied Products.

51.3

51.5

52.5

-0.2

-1.2

Printing, Publishing & Allied

54.5

54.5

55.5

0.0

-1.0

Chemicals and Allied Products

14.8

15.0

14.9

-0.2

-0.1

Rubber & Misc. Plastic Products

36.7

36.7

36.8

0.0

-0.1

Leather & Leather Products

3.6

3.6

4.1

0.0

-0.5

All Other Nondurable Goods

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.0

0.0

           
MINING

2.9

2.9

3.0

0.0

-0.1

CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION

125.0

126.6

121.5

-1.6

3.5

TRANS, COMM, ELEC, GAS

129.9

129.3

129.6

0.6

0.3

TRADE

620.6

617.3

615.5

3.3

5.1

WHOLESALE TRADE

139.4

139.3

137.4

0.1

2.0

RETAIL TRADE

481.2

478.0

478.1

3.2

3.1

FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL ESTATE

149.5

149.5

144.8

0.0

4.7

SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS

732.1

733.2

718.0

-1.1

14.1

           
GOVERNMENT

404.5

391.7

400.2

12.8

4.3

FEDERAL

29.5

29.5

29.8

0.0

-0.3

STATE

102.8

97.8

101.2

5.0

1.6

LOCAL

272.2

264.4

269.2

7.8

3.0

           
PERSONS INVOLVED IN L-M DISPUTES

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Maps of October 1999 Unemployment Rates by County

Unemployment by County
October 1999
Not seasonally adjusted

RANK  

COUNTY

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

   

                       

32

 ADAMS

2.4%

2.1%

29

3.6%

47

 MARATHON

2.0%

1.8%

44

2.8%

2

 ASHLAND

4.6%

3.7%

4

6.8%

12

 MARINETTE

3.3%

2.9%

10

5.4%

30

 BARRON

2.5%

2.0%

39

3.3%

10

 MARQUETTE

3.4%

2.6%

16

6.3%

24

 BAYFIELD

2.6%

2.3%

23

5.4%

1

 MENOMINEE

4.9%

4.8%

1

9.7%

51

 BROWN

1.9%

1.7%

50

2.5%

11

 MILWAUKEE

3.3%

3.0%

8

4.3%

50

 BUFFALO

1.9%

1.7%

49

2.2%

17

 MONROE

2.8%

2.7%

12

4.1%

   

                       

33

 BURNETT

2.4%

2.1%

30

3.5%

8

 OCONTO

3.5%

2.7%

14

4.4%

62

 CALUMET

1.7%

1.6%

53

2.5%

14

 ONEIDA

3.2%

2.1%

36

3.9%

52

 CHIPPEWA

1.9%

1.6%

57

2.7%

49

 OUTAGAMIE

1.9%

1.8%

43

2.4%

20

 CLARK

2.7%

2.3%

25

4.1%

71

 OZAUKEE

1.5%

1.3%

71

2.2%

34

 COLUMBIA

2.4%

2.1%

31

3.4%

45

 PEPIN

2.0%

1.9%

40

2.6%

31

 CRAWFORD

2.4%

2.3%

21

3.0%

68

 PIERCE

1.6%

1.4%

69

2.2%

   

                       

72

 DANE

1.1%

1.0%

72

1.4%

42

 POLK

2.1%

2.1%

27

3.4%

65

 DODGE

1.7%

1.5%

63

2.4%

44

 PORTAGE

2.1%

1.8%

46

2.9%

53

 DOOR

1.9%

1.6%

58

3.3%

7

 PRICE

3.6%

3.0%

9

7.9%

37

 DOUGLAS

2.4%

2.0%

38

4.0%

9

 RACINE

3.4%

3.4%

5

3.9%

67

 DUNN

1.6%

1.5%

60

2.3%

22

 RICHLAND

2.7%

1.8%

47

2.6%

55

 EAU CLAIRE

1.8%

1.6%

54

2.5%

16

 ROCK

3.1%

2.7%

13

3.7%

   

                       

6

 FLORENCE

3.6%

3.1%

6

7.3%

19

 RUSK

2.7%

2.5%

17

4.5%

54

 FOND DU LAC

1.9%

1.6%

59

3.2%

59

 SAUK

1.8%

1.5%

66

2.7%

13

 FOREST

3.3%

2.6%

15

5.9%

25

 SAWYER

2.6%

2.3%

24

4.7%

38

 GRANT

2.3%

2.2%

26

3.0%

26

 SHAWANO

2.6%

2.1%

34

3.7%

48

 GREEN

1.9%

1.8%

42

2.7%

69

 SHEBOYGAN

1.6%

1.4%

70

2.3%

23

 GREEN LAKE

2.7%

1.7%

52

6.2%

70

 ST. CROIX

1.5%

1.4%

68

2.2%

   

                       

61

 IOWA

1.7%

1.7%

48

2.2%

63

 TAYLOR

1.7%

1.5%

61

3.5%

15

 IRON

3.1%

2.8%

11

6.2%

46

 TREMPEALEAU

2.0%

1.9%

41

3.2%

41

 JACKSON

2.2%

1.7%

51

3.4%

18

 VERNON

2.8%

2.5%

18

3.7%

66

 JEFFERSON

1.7%

1.5%

64

2.3%

43

 VILAS

2.1%

1.8%

45

3.3%

4

 JUNEAU

4.2%

3.8%

2

5.5%

57

 WALWORTH

1.8%

1.6%

56

2.2%

28

 KENOSHA

2.5%

2.4%

20

3.1%

5

 WASHBURN

3.7%

3.1%

7

4.6%

   

                       

58

 KEWAUNEE

1.8%

1.5%

65

3.3%

60

 WASHINGTON

1.8%

1.5%

67

2.4%

29

 LA CROSSE

2.5%

2.3%

22

2.6%

56

 WAUKESHA

1.8%

1.6%

55

2.3%

39

 LAFAYETTE

2.3%

2.1%

28

2.7%

35

 WAUPACA

2.4%

2.1%

32

3.1%

3

 LANGLADE

4.5%

3.8%

3

6.1%

21

 WAUSHARA

2.7%

2.1%

35

4.6%

27

 LINCOLN

2.5%

2.4%

19

3.7%

64

 WINNEBAGO

1.7%

1.5%

62

2.6%

36

 MANITOWOC

2.4%

2.1%

33

3.9%

40

 WOOD

2.2%

2.0%

37

3.3%

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development