News Release: March Unemployment Rates for Wisconsin Are Released
We've got NEWS
Wednesday, April 26, 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

  
MARCH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES RELEASED

MADISON—The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced the state’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in March was 3.1 percent.  While the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for the month of March increased slightly from last month’s rate of 2.8 percent, it was equal to the March 1999 figure, which was also 3.1 percent.

"Wisconsin’s unemployment picture continues to look strong," said DWD Deputy Secretary Orlando Canto.  "While we did see an increase this month, it was an increase from a record low, and we continue to see job growth in the major industry groups and unemployment rates well below the national average."

The nation’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1 percent, a full one percentage point above Wisconsin’s rate, marking the 146th consecutive month that Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate.  The nation’s unemployment rate was down one tenth of a percent from the March 1999 rate.

Metropolitan area unemployment rates in the state’s 11 metropolitan areas ranged from a seasonally-adjusted low of 1.4 percent in the Madison metropolitan area to a high of 4.4 percent in the Janesville-Beloit area, which has incurred recent layoffs.  Seven of the areas experienced increases in unemployment, four remained unchanged, while none experienced a decline.  Compared to last March’s figures, five areas had increases, three had declines and three were unchanged.

County unemployment rates, which are not seasonally adjusted, ranged from a low of 1.7 percent in Dane County and a high of 8.9 percent in Rusk and Iron counties.  Five cities, including Madison and Menomonee Falls, Brookfield, Greenfield and New Berlin, had rates below 2.0 percent.

Six of the eight nonfarm wage and salary major industry groups saw increases in job totals, both before and after seasonal adjustment.  Only the manufacturing and the small mining group declined.  The manufacturing decline occurred mostly in durable goods production.  Gains were strong in the trade, service, construction and government industries.

"The strength and vitality of Wisconsin’s economy is demonstrated by its continued low unemployment figures, which continue to be among the best in the nation," Canto said.

(end)

Employment and Labor Force
Household Survey

Unadjusted estimates

March 
  2000  

February 
2000  

March 
1999  

Total labor force

2,973,100

2,963,900

2,830,500

Employed

2,862,500

2,856,200

2,721,700

Unemployed

110,500

107,700

108,800

Wis. Unemployment Rate

3.7%

3.6%

3.8%

U.S. Unemployment Rate

4.4%

4.5%

4.3%

 

Seasonally adjusted

March
 2000  

February 
2000  

March 
1999  

Total labor force

3,006,700

3,002,500

2,862,000

Employed

2,915,000

2,917,400

2,772,000

Unemployed

91,700

85,000

90,000

Wis. Unemployment

3.1%

2.8%

3.1%

U.S. Unemployment

4.2%

4.0%

4.1%

 

*Metro National rank Feb.2000

  
Unemployment
% seasonally adjusted

March
2000

February 2000

March
1999

16th

Wisconsin

3.1%

2.8%

3.1%

46th

Appleton-Oshkosh

2.2%

2.1%

2.5%

180th

Eau Claire

3.4%

3.2%

3.0%

46th

Green Bay

2.3%

2.2%

2.3%

226th

Janesville-Beloit

4.4%

4.3%

3.9%

149th

Kenosha

3.5%

3.3%

3.4%

172nd

La Crosse

3.0%

3.0%

2.7%

4th

Madison

1.4%

1.4%

1.4%

116th

Milwaukee-Waukesha

3.3%

3.2%

3.3%

223rd

Racine

4.1%

4.1%

4.4%

21st

Sheboygan

2.0%

1.9%

2.2%

161st

Wausau

3.8%

2.8%

3.3%
  • 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
  

WISCONSIN CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS
(In Thousands)

     

Not seasonally adjusted.

Seasonally Adjusted

CES INDUSTRY TITLE

SIC

Feb-00

Mar-00

Mar-99

Feb-00

Mar-00

Mar-Feb

%

Mar-Mar

%

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

NONFARM WAGE & SALARY

2745.1

2764.3

2766.1

2801.0

2811.1

10.1

0.4

45.0

1.6

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

MINING

   

2.1

2.2

2.8

2.9

2.7

-0.2

-6.9

-0.1

-3.6

CONSTRUCTION

15-17

105.9

109.1

121.3

124.0

126.9

2.9

2.3

5.6

4.6

   General Building Construction

15

27.2

27.1

30.9

30.1

30.8

0.7

2.3

-0.1

-0.3

   Heavy Construction Excluding Building

16

7.4

8.5

12.5

13.2

13.7

0.5

3.8

1.2

9.6

   Special Trade Contractors

17

71.3

73.5

77.9

80.7

82.4

1.7

2.1

4.5

5.8

MANUFACTURING

20-39

610.1

609.9

618.7

616.3

615.1

-1.2

-0.2

-3.6

-0.6

   Durable Goods

  

375.1

374.8

377.2

377.7

376.7

-1.0

-0.3

-0.5

-0.1

   Lumber & Wood Products

24

32.1

32.0

32.6

33.2

33.0

-0.2

-0.6

0.4

1.2

   Furniture & Fixtures

25

18.1

18.2

17.7

18.2

18.3

0.1

0.5

0.6

3.4

   Stone, Clay & Glass Products

32

10.8

11.2

11.3

11.8

12.0

0.2

1.7

0.7

6.2

   Fabricated Metal Products

34

68.1

68.0

68.0

68.2

68.0

-0.2

-0.3

0.0

0.0

   Industrial Machinery

35

110.6

110.6

112.4

110.6

110.3

-0.3

-0.3

-2.1

-1.9

   Electronic & Other Electrical

36

46.5

46.4

46.6

46.6

46.5

-0.1

-0.2

-0.1

-0.2

   Miscellaneous Manufacturing

39

10.5

10.3

11.5

10.8

10.5

-0.3

-2.8

-1.0

-8.7

   Nondurable Goods

  

235.0

235.1

241.5

238.6

238.4

-0.2

-0.1

-3.1

-1.3

   Food & Kindred Products

20

63.5

63.3

65.7

66.3

66.1

-0.2

-0.3

0.4

0.6

   Textile Mill Products

22

2.3

2.3

2.7

2.3

2.3

0.0

0.0

-0.4

-14.8

   Apparel & Other Textiles

23

5.9

5.9

6.0

6.0

5.9

-0.1

-1.7

-0.1

-1.7

   Paper & Allied Products

26

51.5

51.4

52.9

51.9

51.9

0.0

0.0

-1.0

-1.9

   Printing & Publishing

27

54.2

54.4

56.5

54.3

54.6

0.3

0.6

-1.9

-3.4

   Chemicals & Allied Products

28

14.1

14.2

14.6

14.3

14.3

0.0

0.0

-0.3

-2.1

TRANS. & PUBLIC UTILITIES

40-49

128.4

130.2

130.0

130.2

131.0

0.8

0.6

1.0

0.8

   Local & Interurban Transit

41

17.0

17.1

16.0

16.2

16.0

-0.2

-1.2

0.0

0.0

   Trucking & Warehousing

42

51.2

51.6

52.6

51.7

51.9

0.2

0.4

-0.7

-1.3

   Communications

48

18.5

18.5

18.4

18.6

18.6

0.0

0.0

0.2

1.1

   Electrical,Gas & Sanitary

49

17.7

17.8

17.7

17.9

18.0

0.1

0.6

0.3

1.7

TOTAL TRADE

50-59

615.7

621.7

623.4

636.3

638.7

2.4

0.4

15.3

2.5

   Wholesale Trade

50&51

136.2

137.3

136.7

138.4

138.8

0.4

0.3

2.1

1.5

   Retail Trade

52-59

479.5

484.5

486.7

497.9

499.9

2.0

0.4

13.2

2.7

   Wholesale Trade - Durables

50

79.4

80.1

79.8

80.3

80.7

0.4

0.5

0.9

1.1

   Wholesale Trade - Nondurables

51

56.8

57.2

56.9

58.1

58.1

0.0

0.0

1.2

2.1

   Building Materials & Garden Supplies

52

24.1

24.8

24.5

25.8

26.1

0.3

1.2

1.6

6.5

   Gen. Merchandise Stores

53

62.1

62.6

64.0

64.3

63.9

-0.4

-0.6

-0.1

-0.2

   Food Stores

54

64.5

64.4

64.5

65.2

65.5

0.3

0.5

1.0

1.6

   Auto Dealers & Service Stations

55

57.1

57.5

57.2

58.0

58.2

0.2

0.3

1.0

1.7

   Apparel & Accessory Stores

56

15.9

16.0

16.4

16.8

16.9

0.1

0.6

0.5

3.0

   Furniture & Homefurnishings

57

19.1

19.1

18.5

19.5

19.4

-0.1

-0.5

0.9

4.9

   Eating And Drinking Places

58

165.0

168.3

169.4

173.3

174.0

0.7

0.4

4.6

2.7

   Miscellaneous Retail

59

71.7

71.7

72.2

75.0

75.9

0.9

1.2

3.7

5.1

FINANCE, INSUR. & REAL ESTATE

60-67

148.1

148.2

145.2

149.3

149.4

0.1

0.1

4.2

2.9

   Depository Institutions

60

43.9

43.6

43.2

44.1

43.8

-0.3

-0.7

0.6

1.4

   Insurance Carriers

63

47.4

47.5

46.4

47.6

47.7

0.1

0.2

1.3

2.8

SERVICES

70-89

728.3

732.9

728.3

742.4

744.1

1.7

0.2

15.8

2.2

   Hotels And Other Lodging

70

27.3

27.3

29.9

29.9

30.3

0.4

1.3

0.4

1.3

   Personal Services

72

27.2

27.2

26.0

26.3

26.2

-0.1

-0.4

0.2

0.8

   Business Services

73

146.1

146.9

145.5

150.5

150.7

0.2

0.1

5.2

3.6

   Auto Repair,Service & Parking

75

21.1

21.2

20.9

21.0

21.0

0.0

0.0

0.1

0.5

   Miscellaneous Repair Services

76

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.1

5.1

0.0

0.0

0.1

2.0

   Health Services

80

223.7

224.0

220.7

224.3

224.6

0.3

0.1

3.9

1.8

   Legal Services

81

13.7

13.7

13.4

13.8

13.8

0.0

0.0

0.4

3.0

   Private Education

82

41.3

41.3

38.1

39.0

38.9

-0.1

-0.3

0.8

2.1

   Social Services

83

74.5

75.0

71.1

74.2

74.6

0.4

0.5

3.5

4.9

   Engineering & Management

87

39.5

39.9

37.3

39.3

39.5

0.2

0.5

2.2

5.9

GOVERNMENT

   

406.4

410.2

396.4

399.6

403.2

3.6

0.9

6.8

1.7

   Federal Government

  

30.6

32.9

30.1

30.9

33.3

2.4

7.8

3.2

10.6

   State Government

  

98.7

100.1

98.6

97.6

98.1

0.5

0.5

-0.5

-0.5

   Local Government

  

277.1

277.2

267.7

271.1

271.8

0.7

0.3

4.1

1.5

 

Maps of March 2000 Unemployment Rates by County

Unemployment by County
March 2000
Not seasonally adjusted

RANK  

COUNTY

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

   

                       

31

ADAMS

5.1%

5.2%

29

5.6%

36

MARATHON

5.0%

3.8%

54

4.3%

5

ASHLAND

8.3%

7.7%

6

10.4%

25

MARINETTE

5.3%

5.4%

27

6.3%

26

BARRON

5.3%

4.9%

33

6.0%

11

MARQUETTE

7.7%

8.1%

3

7.8%

4

BAYFIELD

8.7%

7.9%

4

8.9%

10

MENOMINEE

7.8%

5.6%

26

6.9%

66

BROWN

2.6%

2.6%

65

2.7%

49

MILWAUKEE

4.0%

3.9%

52

4.0%

43

BUFFALO

4.3%

4.3%

45

4.1%

38

MONROE

4.8%

4.8%

34

4.9%
                       

23

BURNETT

5.5%

5.7%

22

7.7%

24

OCONTO

5.5%

5.6%

24

6.2%

67

CALUMET

2.5%

2.4%

68

2.8%

19

ONEIDA

6.8%

6.6%

14

6.6%

22

CHIPPEWA

5.6%

5.6%

25

5.3%

64

OUTAGAMIE

2.9%

2.9%

63

3.3%

14

CLARK

7.5%

7.2%

11

7.7%

71

OZAUKEE

2.0%

2.0%

71

2.2%

32

COLUMBIA

5.1%

5.0%

32

5.4%

20

PEPIN

6.2%

6.4%

16

6.2%

45

CRAWFORD

4.2%

4.3%

44

5.4%

57

PIERCE

3.6%

3.1%

60

3.5%
                       

72

DANE

1.7%

1.7%

72

1.7%

39

POLK

4.8%

4.0%

51

5.4%

59

DODGE

3.3%

3.4%

58

3.3%

47

PORTAGE

4.0%

4.2%

47

4.5%

18

DOOR

6.9%

6.7%

13

7.6%

3

PRICE

8.7%

8.7%

1

10.2%

27

DOUGLAS

5.3%

4.8%

35

5.9%

41

RACINE

4.5%

4.6%

38

4.8%

33

DUNN

5.1%

4.6%

39

4.7%

44

RICHLAND

4.2%

4.5%

40

5.4%

53

EAU CLAIRE

3.7%

3.1%

61

3.1%

40

ROCK

4.5%

4.7%

36

3.9%
                       

12

FLORENCE

7.7%

7.5%

8

8.9%

1

RUSK

8.9%

7.8%

5

6.9%

58

FOND DU LAC

3.5%

3.6%

56

3.9%

54

SAUK

3.6%

4.0%

49

4.2%

7

FOREST

8.1%

6.5%

15

7.7%

13

SAWYER

7.7%

7.3%

10

8.5%

52

GRANT

3.7%

4.3%

43

4.5%

35

SHAWANO

5.0%

4.4%

42

4.8%

48

GREEN

4.0%

4.0%

50

4.5%

70

SHEBOYGAN

2.2%

2.2%

70

2.3%

28

GREEN LAKE

5.2%

6.1%

20

6.3%

61

ST. CROIX

3.2%

2.6%

66

3.7%
                       

50

IOWA

3.9%

4.6%

37

5.0%

17

TAYLOR

7.0%

6.3%

18

6.9%

2

IRON

8.9%

7.6%

7

8.0%

21

TREMPEALEAU

5.7%

5.8%

21

5.8%

37

JACKSON

4.8%

5.0%

30

5.3%

29

VERNON

5.2%

5.3%

28

5.6%

60

JEFFERSON

3.2%

3.2%

59

3.2%

9

VILAS

7.8%

6.9%

12

7.6%

8

JUNEAU

7.8%

8.2%

2

9.3%

63

WALWORTH

3.1%

3.0%

62

3.0%

56

KENOSHA

3.6%

3.6%

57

3.6%

6

WASHBURN

8.2%

7.5%

9

9.4%
                       

62

KEWAUNEE

3.1%

3.6%

55

3.9%

65

WASHINGTON

2.6%

2.7%

64

3.1%

55

LA CROSSE

3.6%

3.8%

53

3.1%

68

WAUKESHA

2.4%

2.4%

67

2.4%

42

LAFAYETTE

4.5%

4.5%

41

4.8%

46

WAUPACA

4.2%

4.1%

48

4.2%

15

LANGLADE

7.3%

6.3%

19

7.0%

30

WAUSHARA

5.1%

5.6%

23

6.5%

16

LINCOLN

7.0%

6.4%

17

6.9%

69

WINNEBAGO

2.3%

2.3%

69

2.7%

51

MANITOWOC

3.8%

4.2%

46

4.6%

34

WOOD

5.0%

5.0%

31

5.4%

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