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We've got NEWS
Wednesday, December 29, 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

 
COUNTIES REPORT LOWER UNEMPLOYMENT RATES THIS YEAR

MADISON—The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced that this November, seventy-one of the state’s 72 counties had lower unemployment rates than last year at this time.

Wisconsin’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November was 2.9 percent.  DWD Deputy Secretary Orlando Canto said this marks the sixth consecutive month of unemployment at 3.0 percent or under in Wisconsin.

"Now, the state must focus its workforce development efforts toward building and sustaining a solid workforce for Wisconsin to compete and succeed in the 21st century," said Canto.

Seventy-one of the state’s 72 counties have jobless rates below the year ago rate. Price County’s unemployment rate dropped by more than half the year ago rate from 8.6 percent to 3.8 percent.  Rock County was the only county to experience a higher unemployment rate because of the temporary layoffs at the Chevy vehicle assembly plant.

In addition, the unemployment rate in ten of Wisconsin’s 11 major urban areas declined or remained  unchanged in November from the previous year before adjustment.  The rate for the 12th area, Duluth-Superior, increased over the month from 2.6 percent to 2.9 percent.  The area’s year-ago November rate was 3.4 percent.  The Duluth-Superior rate is not adjusted for the season.

There were 2,778,000 wage and salary jobs in the state in November, and Wisconsin employers reported job growth of 25,000, in the last twelve months before adjustment, not including farming and other self-employment.

Nonfarm employment grew by a seasonally adjusted 1,400 jobs in November to 2,750,000, an increase of one-tenth of a percent.  November adjusted job growth was mostly due to new jobs in the construction, manufacturing, and finance, insurance and real estate industry groups.

The construction industry added 1,200 jobs on the adjusted basis.   State officials attribute the seasonally- adjusted construction job growth to the mild weather the state experienced this fall, which allowed work to continue.

The 2.9 percent state adjusted 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 earlier by the US Department of Labor and the Department of Workforce Development.  Wisconsin’s unadjusted rate was tied for sixth with Vermont.

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

Nov. 1999

Oct. 1999

Nov. 1998

Total labor force

2,958,600

2,960,300

2,970,400

Employed

2,883,400

2,893,300

2,875,000

Unemployed

75,100

67,100

95,400

Wis. Unemployment Rate

2.5%

2.3%

3.2%

U.S. Unemployment Rate

3.8%

3.8%

4.1%

 

Seasonally adjusted

Nov. 1999

Oct. 1999

Nov. 1998

Total labor force

2,964,100

2,964,000

2,979,300

Employed

2,877,700

2,881,700

2,872,000

Unemployed

86,400

82,300

107,400

Wis. Unemployment

2.9%

2.8%

3.6%

U.S. Unemployment

4.1%

4.1%

4.4%

 

1999 Unemployment Rate -- Unadjusted

Jan. Feb. Mar. April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
4.2% 4.2% 3.9% 3.3% 3.1% 3.1% 2.9% 2.6% 2.0% 2.3% 2.5%  

 

1999 Unemployment Rate – Seasonally Adjusted

Jan. Feb. Mar. April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
3.5% 3.4% 3.2% 3.1% 3.4% 2.9% 3.0% 3.0% 2.6% 2.8% 2.9%  

 

 

* Metro National rank
Oct. 1999


Unemployment

% seasonally adjusted

 November
1999

October
1999

November
1998
** 11th

Wisconsin

2.9%

2.8%

3.6%

22nd

Appleton-Oshkosh

2.1%

2.0%

 2.8%
30th (tie)

Eau Claire

2.6%

2.5%

 3.5%

30th (tie)

Green Bay

2.2%

2.2%

2.8%

124th

Janesville-Beloit

7.1%

3.7%

4.3%

66th (tie)

Kenosha

3.0%

2.8%

3.7%

66th (tie)

La Crosse

3.0%

3.1%

3.0%

2nd

Madison

1.3%

1.2%

1.6%

86th

Milwaukee-Waukesha

3.0%

2.8%

3.7%

158th

Racine

3.8%

 3.9% 4.4%

9th

Sheboygan

1.8%

1.8%

2.5%

38th

Wausau

2.6%

2.7%

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

November
1999

October
1999

Year Ago

+/- month

+/– year
NONFARM WAGE & SALARY

2778.0

2775.4

2753.0

2.6

25.0

           
MANUFACTURING

609.5

610.6

614.4

-1.1

-4.9
DURABLE GOODS .

374.9

375.1

377.0

-0.2

-2.1
Lumber and Wood Products

31.9

32.1

31.4

-0.2

0.5

Furniture and Fixtures

17.6

17.5

17.5

0.1

0.1

Stone, Clay & Glass Products

11.1

11.3

11.1

-0.2

0.0

Primary Metal Industries

25.3

25.1

25.4

0.2

-0.1

Fabricated Metal Products

67.6

67.4

68.3

0.2

-0.7

Nonelectrical Machinery

112.9

112.4

114.8

0.5

-1.9

Electrical Machinery

44.9

44.9

45.7

0.0

-0.8

Transportation Equipment .

34.1

35.0

33.0

-0.9

1.1

Prof., Scient. & Control Instr

18.5

18.4

18.1

0.1

0.4

Miscellaneous Manufacturing

10.9

11.0

11.7

-0.1

-0.8

           
NONDURABLE GOODS

234.6

235.6

237.4

-1.0

-2.8

Food and Kindred Products

64.3

65.7

64.0

-1.4

0.3

Textile Mill Products

2.6

2.5

2.8

0.1

-0.2

Apparel & Other Finished Products

6.1

6.2

6.3

-0.1

-0.2

Paper and Allied Products.

51.5

51.2

52.6

0.3

-1.1

Printing, Publishing & Allied

54.6

54.5

55.7

0.1

-1.1

Chemicals and Allied Products

14.9

14.8

14.9

0.1

0.0

Rubber & Misc. Plastic Products

36.6

36.7

36.7

-0.1

-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

2.8

2.9

2.9

-0.1

-0.1

CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION

123.3

125.1

120.0

-1.8

3.3

TRANS, COMM, ELEC, GAS

130.0

130.6

129.6

-0.6

0.4

TRADE

627.5

620.4

621.6

7.1

5.9

WHOLESALE TRADE

139.1

139.0

137.2

0.1

1.9

RETAIL TRADE

488.4

481.4

484.4

7.0

4.0

FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL ESTATE

149.8

149.6

145.0

0.2

4.8

SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS

726.4

732.1

712.6

-5.7

13.8

           
GOVERNMENT

408.8

404.3

406.9

4.5

1.9

FEDERAL

29.5

29.5

30.4

0.0

-0.9

STATE

104.8

102.7

102.9

2.1

1.9

LOCAL

274.5

272.1

273.6

2.4

0.9

           
PERSONS INVOLVED IN L-M DISPUTES

0.0

0.0

0.3

0.0

-0.3

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Maps of November 1999 Unemployment Rates by County

Unemployment by County
November 1999
Not seasonally adjusted

RANK  

COUNTY

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

   

                       

22

 ADAMS

3.5%

2.5%

32

4.9%

53

 MARATHON

2.1%

2.0%

46

3.0%

2

 ASHLAND

5.6%

4.7%

2

7.3%

19

 MARINETTE

3.5%

3.2%

12

5.3%

28

 BARRON

3.1%

2.5%

30

4.3%

4

 MARQUETTE

5.2%

3.4%

9

7.0%

9

 BAYFIELD

4.5%

2.6%

26

7.2%

3

 MENOMINEE

5.3%

4.8%

1

9.1%

60

 BROWN

1.9%

1.9%

49

2.4%

24

 MILWAUKEE

3.4%

3.3%

10

4.1%

55

 BUFFALO

2.0%

1.9%

50

2.5%

26

 MONROE

3.1%

2.8%

17

4.2%

   

                       

29

 BURNETT

3.1%

2.5%

31

4.5%

17

 OCONTO

3.7%

3.5%

6

4.7%

67

 CALUMET

1.7%

1.7%

61

2.6%

12

 ONEIDA

4.2%

3.2%

13

5.3%

48

 CHIPPEWA

2.4%

1.9%

52

3.4%

59

 OUTAGAMIE

1.9%

1.9%

48

2.4%

27

 CLARK

3.1%

2.7%

19

4.9%

71

 OZAUKEE

1.6%

1.5%

71

2.0%

31

 COLUMBIA

3.0%

2.4%

37

4.3%

40

 PEPIN

2.6%

2.1%

45

3.8%

46

 CRAWFORD

2.4%

2.4%

33

3.4%

68

 PIERCE

1.7%

1.6%

66

2.9%

   

                       

72

 DANE

1.1%

1.1%

72

1.4%

43

 POLK

2.5%

2.2%

41

3.8%

66

 DODGE

1.8%

1.7%

62

2.6%

47

 PORTAGE

2.4%

2.1%

44

3.2%

14

 DOOR

4.0%

1.9%

54

6.4%

15

 PRICE

3.8%

3.5%

7

8.6%

38

 DOUGLAS

2.6%

2.4%

34

4.5%

23

 RACINE

3.4%

3.4%

8

3.9%

58

 DUNN

2.0%

1.6%

68

2.4%

49

 RICHLAND

2.2%

2.8%

16

3.1%

54

 EAU CLAIRE

2.1%

1.8%

59

2.7%

1

 ROCK

6.2%

3.2%

14

3.7%

   

                       

8

 FLORENCE

4.5%

3.0%

15

6.6%

20

 RUSK

3.5%

2.7%

20

5.3%

51

 FOND DU LAC

2.2%

1.9%

51

2.8%

52

 SAUK

2.2%

1.8%

60

3.2%

16

 FOREST

3.8%

3.3%

11

6.4%

13

 SAWYER

4.2%

2.6%

25

6.4%

50

 GRANT

2.2%

2.3%

38

3.3%

34

 SHAWANO

2.7%

2.6%

23

3.8%

45

 GREEN

2.5%

1.9%

53

2.6%

69

 SHEBOYGAN

1.7%

1.6%

67

2.3%

11

 GREEN LAKE

4.3%

2.7%

21

5.1%

70

 ST. CROIX

1.6%

1.5%

70

2.3%

   

                       

62

 IOWA

1.9%

1.7%

63

2.2%

36

 TAYLOR

2.7%

1.6%

69

4.8%

5

 IRON

5.2%

2.7%

22

8.0%

32

 TREMPEALEAU

2.9%

2.0%

47

3.9%

42

 JACKSON

2.5%

2.2%

40

3.9%

25

 VERNON

3.2%

2.8%

18

3.7%

57

 JEFFERSON

2.0%

1.7%

65

2.5%

18

 VILAS

3.6%

2.2%

43

5.2%

6

 JUNEAU

4.7%

4.2%

4

6.4%

61

 WALWORTH

1.9%

1.8%

57

2.5%

37

 KENOSHA

2.6%

2.5%

28

3.1%

10

 WASHBURN

4.4%

3.6%

5

7.3%

   

                       

56

 KEWAUNEE

2.0%

1.8%

58

3.1%

65

 WASHINGTON

1.8%

1.8%

56

2.5%

41

 LA CROSSE

2.5%

2.5%

27

2.7%

64

 WAUKESHA

1.8%

1.8%

55

2.3%

39

 LAFAYETTE

2.6%

2.3%

39

3.0%

35

 WAUPACA

2.7%

2.4%

35

3.2%

7

 LANGLADE

4.6%

4.5%

3

6.9%

21

 WAUSHARA

3.5%

2.6%

24

4.7%

30

 LINCOLN

3.0%

2.5%

29

4.6%

63

 WINNEBAGO

1.9%

1.7%

64

2.5%

33

 MANITOWOC

2.8%

2.4%

36

4.3%

44

 WOOD

2.5%

2.2%

42

3.6%

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development