Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

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

  STATE ENTERS NEW MILENNIUM WITH
LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

MADISON—The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced the state’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for November was 2.9 percent, marking the third consecutive month that Wisconsin’s rate has been below 3.0 percent.

"Never before has Wisconsin had three consecutive months with unemployment below 3.0 percent," said DWD Executive Assistant Mark Liedl.   "We’re entering the 21^st century in a very strong position."

The 2.9 percent rate is the lowest November rate in the state’s history since seasonally-adjusted record keeping began in 1960.  The nation’s unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in November and Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has been below the national average since January 1988.   Wisconsin’s unemployment rate before adjustment was 2.5 percent and compares to a rate of 3.2 percent posted last November.

The November rate was up slightly from October’s rate of 2.8 percent but was well below last year’s rate of 3.6 percent. Wisconsin posted the 11th lowest unemployment rate in the nation tied with Connecticut, Indiana, and Utah, which was released today by the US Department of Labor.  Wisconsin’s unadjusted rate was tied for sixth with Vermont.

Nonfarm employment grew by a seasonally-adjusted one-tenth of a percent in November, for an addition of 5,000 jobs.  In addition, the construction industry added 1,200 jobs.  State officials attribute construction job growth to the mild weather the state experienced this fall.

County and substate figures for November will be released at monthly news conference on December 29, 1999.  The complete text of the Department’s announcement and supporting data, as well as other labor market information, will be available on the agency’s website at <http://www.dwd.state.wi.us>.

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