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Thursday, January 27, 2000
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 1999 UNEMPLOYMENT AVERAGE
LOWEST IN FOUR DECADES

MADISON—The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced the state’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for December was 3.0 percent, an increase of one-tenth of a percent from November’s 2.9 percent rate.

The 1999 annual average is expected to be 3.0 percent, down from 3.4 percent in 1998.   This is the lowest rate since 1957 when it was also 3.0 percent.  Only one year, 1956, was lower at 2.7 percent.  The state began estimating unemployment in 1954 and seasonal adjustment in 1960.

"The 1999 annual average unemployment rate in Wisconsin is the lowest in four decades," said DWD Deputy Secretary Orlando Canto.  "This is a testament to the strength of the state’s economy."

The December rate was up slightly from November’s rate of 2.9 percent but was well below last year’s rate of 3.6 percent.  The 3.0 percent rate is the lowest December rate in over three decades when it was also 3.0 percent in 1966.

Wisconsin posted the 13th lowest unemployment rate in the nation tied with Colorado.  Wisconsin’s unadjusted rate of 2.6 percent was tied for tenth with Virginia.

The nation’s unemployment rate was unchanged in December at 4.1 percent and Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has been below the national average since January 1988.   Wisconsin’s unemployment rate before adjustment was 2.6 percent and compares to a rate of 3.1 percent posted last December.

In addition, the unemployment rate in eight of Wisconsin’s major urban areas was lower than last December’s rate before adjustment.  The rate for the 12th area, Duluth- Superior, remained unchanged at 2.9 percent and last December’s rate was 3.4 percent.  The Duluth-Superior rate is not adjusted for the season.

In December, unadjusted unemployment rates decreased from December 1998 in 69 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties and increased in three.

Nonfarm employment grew by a seasonally-adjusted two-tenths of a percent in December, for an addition of 6,700. The service and trade industries added 6,400 jobs.  State officials attribute the job growth to a strong holiday shopping season.

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

December
1999

November
1999

December
1998

Total labor force

2,953,300

2,958,900

2,968,000

Employed

2,876,600

2,883,600

2,875,200

Unemployed

76,700

75,300

92,900

Wis. Unemployment Rate

2.6%

2.5%

3.1%

U.S. Unemployment Rate

3.7%

3.8%

4.0%

 

Seasonally adjusted

December
1999

November
1999

December
1998

Total labor force

2,968,200

2,964,100

2,986,200

Employed

2,879,400

2,877,900

2,879,900

Unemployed

88,800

86,500

106,300

Wis. Unemployment

3.0%

2.9%

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% 2.6%

 

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% 3.0%

 

 

*Metro National rank
Nov. 1999

Unemployment

% seasonally adjusted

 December
1999

November
1999

December
1998
**13th

Wisconsin

3.0%

2.9%

3.6%

25th

Appleton-Oshkosh

2.2%

2.1%

 2.7%
46th

Eau Claire

3.0%

2.6%

 3.4%

25th

Green Bay

2.3%

2.2%

2.7%

300th

Janesville-Beloit

4.1%

7.1%

4.4%

76th

Kenosha

3.3%

3.1%

 3.7%

76th

La Crosse

3.1%

3.0%

2.9%

2nd

Madison

1.4%

1.3%

1.3%

95th

Milwaukee-Waukesha

3.2%

3.0%

3.7%

162nd

Racine

4.3%

3.8%

 4.2%

14th

Sheboygan

2.1%

1.8%

2.5%

38th

Wausau

2.8%

2.6%

3.7%
  • 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

 

December
1999

November
1999

Year Ago

+/- month

+/- year
NONFARM WAGE & SALARY

2776.9

2777.9

2750.4

-1.0

26.5

           
MANUFACTURING

610.0

609.9

613.5

0.1

-3.5

DURABLE GOODS .

375.5

374.4

376.3

1.1

-0.8

Lumber and Wood Products

31.8

31.9

31.3

-0.1

0.5

Furniture and Fixtures

17.8

17.6

17.4

0.2

0.4

Stone, Clay & Glass Products

10.6

11.1

10.6

-0.5

0.0

Primary Metal Industries

25.5

25.3

25.5

0.2

0.0

Fabricated Metal Products

67.4

67.6

68.0

-0.2

-0.6

Nonelectrical Machinery

113.1

112.6

115.3

0.5

-2.2

Electrical Machinery

45.2

44.9

45.7

0.3

-0.5

Transportation Equipment .

35.2

34.0

33.1

1.2

2.1

Prof., Scient. & Control Instr

18.4

18.5

17.8

-0.1

0.6

Miscellaneous Manufacturing

10.6

10.9

11.5

-0.3

-0.9

           
NONDURABLE GOODS

234.5

235.4

237.2

-0.9

-2.7

Food and Kindred Products

64.2

65.3

63.3

-1.1

0.9

Textile Mill Products

2.4

2.6

2.7

-0.2

-0.3

Apparel & Other Finished Products

6.2

6.1

6.3

0.1

-0.1

Paper and Allied Products.

51.6

51.5

52.5

0.1

-0.9

Printing, Publishing & Allied

54.8

54.7

55.8

0.1

-1.0

Chemicals and Allied Products

14.7

14.8

14.9

-0.1

-0.2

Rubber & Misc. Plastic Products

36.7

36.6

37.1

0.1

-0.4

Leather & Leather Products

3.6

3.6

4.2

0.0

-0.6

All Other Nondurable Goods

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.0

0.0

           
MINING

2.5

2.8

2.5

-0.3

0.0

CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION

115.8

122.5

114.2

-6.7

1.6

TRANS, COMM, ELEC, GAS

130.5

129.8

130.7

0.7

-0.2

TRADE

633.4

628.3

626.3

5.1

7.1

WHOLESALE TRADE

139.4

139.2

137.1

0.2

2.3

RETAIL TRADE

494.0

489.1

489.2

4.9

4.8

FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL ESTATE

150.6

149.9

146.0

0.7

4.6

SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS

727.9

726.0

712.4

1.9

15.5

           
GOVERNMENT

406.2

408.6

404.8

-2.4

1.4

FEDERAL

30.4

29.9

31.1

0.5

-0.7

STATE

100.7

103.5

101.7

-2.8

-1.0

LOCAL

275.0

275.2

272.1

-0.2

2.9

           
PERSONS INVOLVED IN L-M DISPUTES

0.0

0.3

0.3

-0.3

-0.3

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Maps of December 1999 Unemployment Rates by County

Unemployment by County
December 1999
Not seasonally adjusted

RANK  

COUNTY

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

   

                       

25

 ADAMS

3.9%

3.5%

21

4.8%

53

 MARATHON

2.5%

2.1%

54

3.1%

4

 ASHLAND

5.9%

5.7%

2

7.2%

23

 MARINETTE

4.0%

3.7%

18

5.2%

32

 BARRON

3.6%

3.1%

28

5.0%

3

 MARQUETTE

6.0%

5.2%

5

7.3%

7

 BAYFIELD

5.4%

4.4%

9

7.4%

14

 MENOMINEE

4.7%

5.2%

4

6.9%

62

 BROWN

2.0%

1.9%

62

2.3%

39

 MILWAUKEE

3.1%

3.4%

23

3.6%

36

 BUFFALO

3.3%

2.0%

58

3.2%

35

 MONROE

3.3%

3.1%

27

4.1%

   

                       

17

 BURNETT

4.4%

3.2%

26

5.8%

26

 OCONTO

3.8%

3.7%

17

4.8%

70

 CALUMET

1.5%

1.7%

67

2.1%

8

 ONEIDA

5.3%

4.2%

13

5.6%

28

 CHIPPEWA

3.8%

2.4%

48

4.3%

61

 OUTAGAMIE

2.0%

1.9%

61

2.4%

19

 CLARK

4.3%

3.1%

29

5.8%

71

 OZAUKEE

1.5%

1.6%

70

1.7%

33

 COLUMBIA

3.5%

3.0%

30

4.5%

20

 PEPIN

4.3%

2.6%

40

4.4%

43

 CRAWFORD

2.9%

2.4%

47

3.7%

60

 PIERCE

2.1%

1.7%

69

2.5%

   

                       

72

 DANE

1.2%

1.1%

72

1.3%

38

 POLK

3.2%

2.5%

44

4.2%

63

 DODGE

2.0%

1.8%

66

2.5%

48

 PORTAGE

2.7%

2.4%

45

3.8%

9

 DOOR

5.3%

4.0%

14

7.0%

24

 PRICE

3.9%

3.9%

15

8.6%

37

 DOUGLAS

3.2%

2.6%

38

4.5%

31

 RACINE

3.6%

3.4%

24

3.5%

54

 DUNN

2.5%

2.0%

56

3.2%

49

 RICHLAND

2.6%

2.2%

51

3.7%

55

 EAU CLAIRE

2.3%

2.1%

53

2.7%

34

 ROCK

3.4%

6.2%

1

3.6%

   

                       

1

 FLORENCE

6.1%

4.8%

7

7.2%

15

 RUSK

4.7%

3.6%

19

5.9%

56

 FOND DU LAC

2.2%

2.2%

50

2.9%

50

 SAUK

2.6%

2.2%

52

3.7%

10

 FOREST

5.0%

3.8%

16

6.9%

11

 SAWYER

4.9%

4.2%

12

6.8%

46

 GRANT

2.8%

2.4%

46

3.5%

42

 SHAWANO

3.0%

2.7%

36

3.7%

58

 GREEN

2.1%

2.3%

49

2.3%

69

 SHEBOYGAN

1.6%

1.7%

68

1.9%

16

 GREEN LAKE

4.4%

4.2%

11

5.1%

65

 ST. CROIX

1.9%

1.6%

71

2.7%

   

                       

57

 IOWA

2.2%

1.9%

63

2.7%

21

 TAYLOR

4.3%

2.6%

41

6.1%

2

 IRON

6.0%

5.4%

3

8.1%

18

 TREMPEALEAU

4.4%

2.9%

32

5.1%

27

 JACKSON

3.8%

2.6%

39

5.5%

29

 VERNON

3.7%

3.2%

25

4.1%

59

 JEFFERSON

2.1%

2.0%

55

2.4%

13

 VILAS

4.8%

3.6%

20

6.4%

6

 JUNEAU

5.4%

4.8%

6

6.4%

64

 WALWORTH

1.9%

1.9%

60

2.3%

47

 KENOSHA

2.7%

2.7%

34

3.0%

5

 WASHBURN

5.9%

4.4%

10

7.9%

   

                       

51

 KEWAUNEE

2.6%

2.0%

57

3.0%

67

 WASHINGTON

1.8%

1.8%

65

2.2%

45

 LA CROSSE

2.8%

2.5%

42

2.7%

66

 WAUKESHA

1.8%

1.8%

64

2.0%

52

 LAFAYETTE

2.5%

2.6%

37

3.0%

44

 WAUPACA

2.8%

2.7%

35

3.2%

12

 LANGLADE

4.8%

4.6%

8

6.2%

22

 WAUSHARA

4.2%

3.5%

22

5.6%

30

 LINCOLN

3.7%

3.0%

31

4.9%

68

 WINNEBAGO

1.7%

1.9%

59

2.2%

41

 MANITOWOC

3.0%

2.8%

33

4.5%

40

 WOOD

3.1%

2.5%

43

3.7%

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

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