Thursday, September 14, 2000
Governor
Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary
Jennifer Reinert |
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 AUGUST UNEMPLOYMENT RATES RELEASED MADISON—The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced the state’s seasonally- adjusted unemployment rate for the month of August was 3.5 percent, down two-tenths from the previous month. Department of Workforce Development Secretary Jennifer Reinert said that she was encouraged by the state’s latest labor market information. "In August we had more people seeking work, more people finding work and fewer people losing work, all very encouraging news," Secretary Reinert said. "This is particularly positive news given the labor shortage we are currently facing in Wisconsin." According to the Department of Workforce Development, the Wisconsin unemployment rate declined by two tenths of a percentage point seasonally adjusted as the number of unemployed dropped by more than 4,000 over the month. Meanwhile, officials said employment declined by less than it normally does in August with the adjusted figure increasing by 6,000 to 2,922,700. The labor force also declined in August as a result of the upcoming school year. The decline was slightly less then we have experienced in recent years. Non-farm wage and salary job totals increased by 2,500 after seasonal adjustment. Substantial gains occurred in the service, government, transportation, communication and public utilities industry groups. The manufacturing and trade sectors experienced declines. Changes were close to normal in the mining, construction, finance, insurance and real estate industries. The national unemployment rate increased from July at 4.1 percent, marking the 151st consecutive month that Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate. NOTE TO NEWS MEDIA County employment and unemployment figures for June should be available by September 20. This release and other labor market information is available on the department Internet site at: http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dwelmi (end) WISCONSIN LABOR FORCE SUMMARY
IN THOUSANDS | | | | | | Net Change From | | ITEM | Prelim.
Aug. 2000 | Final
July 2000 | Year Ago
Aug. 1999 | Month
Ago | Year
Ago | | | | | | | | | PLACE OF RESIDENCE DATA | | | | | | | CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE | 3059.2 | 3094.1 | 2911.7 | -34.9 | 147.5 | | UNEMPLOYMENT | 98.6 | 113.2 | 75.0 | -14.6 | 23.6 | | UNEMPLOYMENT RATE | 3.2 | 3.7 | 2.6 | -0.5 | 0.6 | | EMPLOYMENT (1) | 2960.7 | 2980.9 | 2836.7 | -20.2 | 124.0 | | | | | | | | | PLACE OF WORK DATA | | | | | | | NONFARM WAGE & SALARY | 2836.0 | 2832.5 | 2798.5 | 3.5 | 37.5 | | MANUFACTURING | 622.2 | 622.1 | 622.5 | 0.1 | -0.3 | | DURABLE GOODS | 379.2 | 378.8 | 378.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | | Lumber and Wood Products | 33.6 | 33.9 | 33.5 | -0.3 | 0.1 | | Furniture and Fixtures | 19.1 | 18.8 | 18.0 | 0.3 | 1.1 | | Stone, Clay & Glass Products | 12.6 | 12.9 | 12.0 | -0.3 | 0.6 | | Primary Metal Industries | 26.5 | 26.6 | 25.7 | -0.1 | 0.8 | | Fabricated Metal Products | 69.7 | 69.8 | 68.7 | -0.1 | 1.0 | | Nonelectrical Machinery | 109.4 | 110.0 | 111.0 | -0.6 | -1.6 | | Electrical Machinery | 45.6 | 45.7 | 46.6 | -0.1 | -1.0 | | Transportation Equipment | 34.4 | 32.6 | 34.1 | 1.8 | 0.3 | Prof., Scient. & Control
Instruments | 17.8 | 17.9 | 17.9 | -0.1 | -0.1 | | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 10.6 | 10.7 | 11.2 | -0.1 | -0.6 | | | | | | | | | NONDURABLE GOODS | 243.0 | 243.3 | 243.8 | -0.3 | -0.8 | | Food and Kindred Products | 69.2 | 69.2 | 68.7 | 0.0 | 0.5 | | Textile Mill Products | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 0.0 | -0.3 | Apparel & Other Finished
Products | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 0.0 | -0.1 | | Paper and Allied Products | 52.3 | 52.5 | 53.3 | -0.2 | -1.0 | | Printing, Publishing & Allied | 55.3 | 55.2 | 54.9 | 0.1 | 0.4 | | Chemicals and Allied Products | 13.9 | 14.0 | 14.6 | -0.1 | -0.7 | | Rubber & Misc. Plastic Products | 39.6 | 39.9 | 39.2 | -0.3 | 0.4 | | Leather & Leather Products | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | | All Other Nondurable Goods | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | | | | | | | | | MINING | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 0.0 | -0.3 | | CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION | 135.2 | 135.1 | 133.0 | 0.1 | 2.2 | TRANS, COMM, ELEC, GAS & SAN.
SERV. | 131.6 | 130.9 | 129.6 | 0.7 | 2.0 | | TRADE | 651.6 | 649.2 | 639.1 | 2.4 | 12.5 | | WHOLESALE TRADE | 141.7 | 142.1 | 139.8 | -0.4 | 1.9 | | RETAIL TRADE | 509.9 | 507.1 | 499.3 | 2.8 | 10.6 | FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL
ESTATE | 152.2 | 152.3 | 148.1 | -0.1 | 4.1 | | SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS | 762.4 | 759.0 | 753.0 | 3.4 | 9.4 | | GOVERNMENT | 377.8 | 381.0 | 370.2 | -3.2 | 7.6 | | FEDERAL | 34.9 | 33.5 | 30.1 | 1.4 | 4.8 | | STATE | 93.7 | 93.1 | 94.3 | 0.6 | -0.6 | | LOCAL | 249.2 | 254.4 | 245.8 | -5.2 | 3.4 | | | | | | | | PERSONS INVOLVED IN L-M
DISPUTES | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | | (1) Includes L-M Disputes | | SEASONALLY ADJUSTED LABOR FORCE ESTIMATES | | CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE | 3029.0 | 3027.4 | 2879.9 | 1.6 | 149.1 | | UNEMPLOYMENT | 106.4 | 110.7 | 84.4 | -4.3 | 22.0 | | UNEMPLOYMENT RATE | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.9 | -0.2 | 0.6 | | EMPLOYMENT | 2922.7 | 2916.7 | 2795.5 | 6.0 | 127.2 | | NONFARM WAGE & SALARY | 2822.7 | 2820.2 | 2782.7 | 2.5 | 40.0 | | News Release Index Page
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