News Release: February Unemployment Rate Remains at 2.8 Percent in Wisconsin
We've got NEWS
Wednesday, March 22, 2000
Governor
Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary
Linda Stewart
News Media Contact
Christopher Marschman
608/261-6705
e-mail: news@dwd.state.wi.us
fax: 608/266-1784

Contact: August Cibarich, 608/266-0522

  
FEBRUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REMAINS AT 2.8 PERCENT

MADISON—The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced the state’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in February was 2.8 percent.  The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged from last month’s rate of 2.8 percent.

"Wisconsin’s unemployment picture remains strong," said DWD Deputy Secretary Orlando Canto.  "This is a tribute to the resilience and work ethic of our people and the health and diversity of our economy."

The nation’s unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a percent to 4.1 percent but is down from last year’s rate of 4.4 percent.  At 3.6 percent, Wisconsin’s unadjusted unemployment rate was five tenths of a percentage point lower than the February 1999 rate.  This marks the 125th consecutive month that Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate.

The number of non-farm wage and salary jobs increased by 10,000 over the month, which is two times greater than the normal gain for the month of February.  Six of the eight major industry groups experienced significant increases after seasonal adjustment while Wisconsin’s mining and service industries remained unchanged.  Seasonal declines were much less than normal in manufacturing and construction, while the trade, transportation, public utilities, and finance and real estate industries experienced more moderate growth.

Since 1988, non-farm wage and salary jobs increased by 29.4 percent in the state compared to the nation’s job growth of 23.9 percent.

Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates in the state’s major metropolitan areas ranged from 1.4 percent in Madison to 4.2 percent in Racine.  Nine of the state’s 11 metropolitan areas had lower rates this February than they did last year.

"Wisconsin’s historic low seasonally-adjusted unemployment numbers, and unadjusted rates that continually come in below the national figures, demonstrates the true strength of our economy in Wisconsin," Canto said.

In January, the Madison metropolitan statistical area had the second lowest unemployment rate in the nation with a rate of 1.6 percent before adjustment and the Sheboygan metropolitan area had the 15th lowest rate in the nation with a rate of 2.1 percent before adjustment.

(end)

Employment and Labor Force
Household Survey

Unadjusted estimates

February 
  2000  

January 
2000  

February 
1999  

Total labor force

2,966,600

2,954,900

2,835,800

Employed

2,858,900

2,853,000

2,719,900

Unemployed

107,700

101,900

115,800

Wis. Unemployment Rate

3.6%

3.4%

4.1%

U.S. Unemployment Rate

4.4%

4.5%

4.7%

 

Seasonally adjusted

February 
 2000  

January 
2000  

February 
1999  

Total labor force

3,005,200

3,000,000

2,871,500

Employed

2,920,200

2,917,200

2,778,700

Unemployed

85,000

82,900

92,800

Wis. Unemployment

2.8%

2.8%

3.2%

U.S. Unemployment

4.1%

4.0%

4.4%

 

 

*Metro National rank Jan.2000

  
Unemployment
% seasonally adjusted

February
2000

January 2000

February
1999

13th

Wisconsin

2.8%

2.8%

3.2%

28th

Appleton-Oshkosh

2.1%

2.1%

2.6%

168th

Eau Claire

3.1%

3.1%

3.3%

36th

Green Bay

2.2%

2.2%

2.5%

184th

Janesville-Beloit

4.3%

3.5%

3.9%

130th

Kenosha

3.4%

3.3%

3.5%

168th

La Crosse

3.0%

3.2%

3.0%

2nd

Madison

1.4%

1.4%

1.5%

89th

Milwaukee-Waukesha

3.2%

3.1%

3.4%

234th

Racine

4.2%

4.1%

4.6%

15th

Sheboygan

1.9%

2.0%

2.1%

130th

Wausau

2.8%

2.8%

3.2%
  • 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
  • *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

February
2000

January
2000

Year
 Ago

+/- 
month

+/– 
year

NONFARM WAGE & SALARY

2749.3

2739.3

2699.6

10.0

49.7
           

MANUFACTURING

609.7

610.8

612.2

-1.1

-2.5

DURABLE GOODS .

375.0

374.9

374.2

0.1

0.8

Lumber and Wood Products

32.0

32.3

31.3

-0.3

0.7

Furniture and Fixtures

18.0

18.1

17.4

-0.1

0.6

Stone, Clay & Glass Products

10.9

11.0

10.2

-0.1

0.7

Primary Metal Industries

26.1

26.0

26.3

0.1

-0.2

Fabricated Metal Products

68.1

68.1

67.4

0.0

0.7

Nonelectrical Machinery

110.7

110.6

112.8

0.1

-2.1

Electrical Machinery

46.4

46.3

46.6

0.1

-0.2

Transportation Equipment .

34.6

34.5

33.4

0.1

1.2

Prof., Scient. & Control Instr

17.7

17.5

17.7

0.2

0.0

Miscellaneous Manufacturing

10.5

10.5

11.1

0.0

-0.6
           

NONDURABLE GOODS

234.8

235.8

238.0

-1.0

-3.2

Food and Kindred Products

63.4

63.7

62.8

-0.3

0.6

Textile Mill Products

2.3

2.3

2.6

0.0

-0.3

Apparel & Other Finished Products

5.9

5.7

5.9

0.2

0.0

Paper and Allied Products.

51.3

51.8

52.3

-0.5

-1.0

Printing, Publishing & Allied

54.1

54.6

56.4

-0.5

-2.3

Chemicals and Allied Products

14.1

14.1

14.5

0.0

-0.4

Rubber & Misc. Plastic Products

39.4

39.4

39.1

0.0

0.3

Leather & Leather Products

3.8

3.9

4.2

-0.1

-0.4

All Other Nondurable Goods

0.4

0.3

0.4

0.1

0.0
           

MINING

2.1

2.1

2.2

0.0

-0.1

CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION

106.5

107.1

101.6

-0.6

4.9

TRANS, COMM, ELEC, GAS

128.6

128.7

126.6

-0.1

2.0

TRADE

617.7

621.8

601.3

-4.1

16.4

WHOLESALE TRADE

136.4

136.7

134.3

-0.3

2.1

RETAIL TRADE

481.3

485.1

466.9

-3.8

14.4

FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL ESTATE

148.4

148.3

144.0

0.1

4.4

SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS

728.4

723.4

708.2

5.0

20.2
           

GOVERNMENT

407.8

397.1

403.5

10.7

4.3

FEDERAL

31.0

30.2

29.7

0.8

1.3

STATE

99.6

95.6

100.1

4.0

-0.5

LOCAL

277.2

271.2

273.7

6.0

3.5
           

PERSONS INVOLVED IN L-M DISPUTES

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Maps of February 2000 Unemployment Rates by County

Unemployment by County
February 2000
Not seasonally adjusted

RANK  

COUNTY

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

   

                       

29

ADAMS

5.2%

5.6%

20

5.8%

53

MARATHON

3.8%

3.6%

52

4.4%

6

ASHLAND

7.6%

7.6%

3

10.6%

27

MARINETTE

5.3%

5.3%

26

6.7%

33

BARRON

4.8%

4.8%

32

6.4%

3

MARQUETTE

8.1%

8.0%

1

8.7%

4

BAYFIELD

7.9%

7.5%

6

9.7%

23

MENOMINEE

5.7%

5.5%

23

7.0%

66

BROWN

2.6%

2.5%

65

3.0%

52

MILWAUKEE

3.9%

3.6%

53

4.1%

44

BUFFALO

4.3%

4.1%

42

4.4%

34

MONROE

4.8%

4.6%

35

5.8%

   

                       

22

BURNETT

5.7%

5.7%

19

7.8%

25

OCONTO

5.6%

5.3%

27

6.7%

68

CALUMET

2.4%

2.0%

71

3.1%

15

ONEIDA

6.6%

6.5%

10

6.6%

26

CHIPPEWA

5.5%

5.5%

22

5.8%

63

OUTAGAMIE

2.9%

2.7%

63

3.5%

10

CLARK

7.2%

6.5%

12

8.2%

71

OZAUKEE

2.0%

2.0%

70

2.3%

31

COLUMBIA

5.0%

4.7%

33

5.8%

16

PEPIN

6.4%

5.9%

18

7.1%

46

CRAWFORD

4.2%

4.0%

44

5.8%

60

PIERCE

3.1%

3.0%

59

3.6%

   

                       

72

DANE

1.7%

1.6%

72

1.8%

50

POLK

4.0%

4.0%

43

5.8%

58

DODGE

3.4%

3.0%

61

3.6%

45

PORTAGE

4.2%

4.4%

38

4.8%

13

DOOR

6.7%

6.9%

7

8.3%

1

PRICE

8.7%

5.6%

21

11.2%

35

DOUGLAS

4.7%

4.5%

36

6.2%

37

RACINE

4.6%

4.9%

30

5.2%

39

DUNN

4.6%

3.9%

46

5.1%

41

RICHLAND

4.5%

3.6%

55

5.5%

59

EAU CLAIRE

3.1%

3.1%

58

3.3%

36

ROCK

4.7%

4.2%

41

4.3%

   

                       

11

FLORENCE

7.1%

7.5%

5

10.0%

5

RUSK

7.8%

6.2%

15

7.4%

57

FOND DU LAC

3.6%

3.3%

57

4.1%

51

SAUK

4.0%

3.6%

54

4.8%

14

FOREST

6.6%

6.7%

9

7.7%

9

SAWYER

7.2%

6.8%

8

8.9%

43

GRANT

4.3%

4.6%

34

5.1%

42

SHAWANO

4.4%

4.3%

39

5.3%

49

GREEN

4.1%

3.7%

50

4.7%

70

SHEBOYGAN

2.2%

2.1%

69

2.4%

20

GREEN LAKE

6.1%

5.4%

25

6.8%

65

ST. CROIX

2.6%

2.5%

64

3.6%

   

                       

40

IOWA

4.6%

3.9%

47

5.2%

19

TAYLOR

6.3%

5.5%

24

7.4%

8

IRON

7.4%

6.3%

13

7.8%

21

TREMPEALEAU

5.8%

5.9%

17

6.4%

32

JACKSON

5.0%

4.5%

37

5.9%

28

VERNON

5.3%

4.9%

31

6.0%

61

JEFFERSON

3.1%

3.0%

60

3.5%

12

VILAS

6.9%

6.5%

11

7.5%

2

JUNEAU

8.2%

7.6%

4

9.9%

62

WALWORTH

3.0%

2.8%

62

3.4%

55

KENOSHA

3.7%

3.6%

51

3.8%

7

WASHBURN

7.5%

7.6%

2

9.6%

   

                       

56

KEWAUNEE

3.6%

3.3%

56

4.2%

64

WASHINGTON

2.7%

2.5%

66

3.1%

54

LA CROSSE

3.7%

3.8%

48

3.8%

67

WAUKESHA

2.4%

2.3%

68

2.5%

38

LAFAYETTE

4.6%

4.2%

40

5.2%

48

WAUPACA

4.1%

3.8%

49

4.6%

18

LANGLADE

6.3%

6.2%

14

7.3%

24

WAUSHARA

5.6%

5.9%

16

7.0%

17

LINCOLN

6.4%

5.2%

28

7.3%

69

WINNEBAGO

2.3%

2.3%

67

2.9%

47

MANITOWOC

4.2%

3.9%

45

5.1%

30

WOOD

5.0%

5.0%

29

5.3%

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

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