Tuesday, October 24, 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 SEPTEMBER LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT DATA RELEASED MADISON Fifty-five Wisconsin Counties had unemployment rates below 4.0 percent in the month of September, according to statistics released today by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD). Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates increased over the month in six metropolitan areas, did not change in four and decreased in one--Janesville-Beloit. At 4.8 percent this month, the Janesville-Beloit area had the highest unemployment rate of any of the Wisconsin metropolitan areas. The Madison area at 1.7 percent had the lowest rate. "All but two of Wisconsins metropolitan areas had unemployment rates below 4.0 percent in September, demonstrating that Wisconsin is among the best states in the country to work whether its in a rural or metropolitan environment," said DWD Secretary Jennifer Reinert. All eleven Wisconsin metropolitan areas had over the year increases. The largest increase at 1.4 percentage points occurred in the Janesville-Beloit area and the smallest increased at 0.1 occurred in La Crosse. Thirty-two of the 72 Wisconsin counties had unemployment rates below three percent in September. Dane County at 1.5 percent was the lowest and Menominee at 9.2 percent had the highest but also had the largest over the month decrease by dropping from 10.9 percent in August. Fifty-four counties had rates below four percent. Buffalo County currently has the second lowest rate at 1.8 percent and is one of two counties that had a lower unemployment rate this September than last September. Langlade County also declined by one tenth of a percentage point to 4.1 percent. This month Madison and Menomonee Falls at 1.8 had the lowest unemployment rates of the Wisconsin large cities while Racine had the highest at 7.6 percent after a decline from 8.5 percent in August. -30- Employment and Labor Force Household Survey | Unadjusted estimates | Sept. 2000 | Aug. 2000 | Sept. 1999 | Total labor force | 3,021,600 | 3,059,800 | 2,889,300 | Employed | 2,928,100 | 2,961,200 | 2,823,800 | Unemployed | 93,600 | 98,700 | 65,500 | Wis. Unemployment Rate | 3.1% | 3.2% | 2.3% | U.S. Unemployment Rate | 3.8% | 4.1% | 4.1% | | Seasonably adjusted | Sept. 2000 | Aug. 2000 | Sept. 1999 | Total labor force | 3,026,600 | 3,029,600 | 2,894,800 | Employed | 2,916,400 | 2,923,200 | 2,811,500 | Unemployed | 110,200 | 106,400 | 83,300 | Wis. Unemployment | 3.6% | 3.5% | 2.9% | U.S. Unemployment | 3.9% | 4.1% | 4.2% | | *Metro National rank Aug. 2000 | Unemployment % seasonally adjusted
| Sept. 2000 | August 2000 | Sept. 1999 | 19th | Wisconsin | 3.6% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 39th | Appleton-Oshkosh | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 112th | Eau Claire | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 39th | Green Bay | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.0% | 259th | Janesville-Beloit | 4.8% | 4.9% | 3.4% | 137th | Kenosha | 3.5% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 93rd | La Crosse | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 6th | Madison | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 194th | Milwaukee-Waukesha | 3.8% | 3.7% | 2.7% | 253rd | Racine | 4.6% | 3.7% | 4.3% | 30th | Sheboygan | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 93rd | Wausau | 3.7% | 3.4% | 2.6% | - This is the latest available data for the U.S.s 331 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 metropolitan areas 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 Maps of September 2000 Unemployment Rates by County WISCONSIN COUNTIES Unemployment Rates September 2000 (Not Seasonally Adjusted) | RANK | COUNTY | RATE | LAST RATE | LAST RANK | YR AGO RATE | | RANK | COUNTY | RATE | LAST RATE | LAST RANK | YR AGO RATE | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 46 | | ADAMS | 2.8% | 2.8% | 45 | 2.4% | | 43 | | MARATHON | 2.9% | 2.9% | 44 | 2.0% | 2 | | ASHLAND | 5.6% | 6.2% | 3 | 4.2% | | 9 | | MARINETTE | 4.4% | 3.9% | 23 | 3.2% | 11 | | BARRON | 4.3% | 3.0% | 43 | 2.3% | | 6 | | MARQUETTE | 4.5% | 4.1% | 19 | 2.9% | 19 | | BAYFIELD | 3.8% | 4.4% | 13 | 2.6% | | 1 | | MENOMINEE | 9.2% | 10.9% | 1 | 5.3% | 61 | | BROWN | 2.4% | 2.3% | 63 | 1.8% | | 4 | | MILWAUKEE | 4.7% | 4.8% | 8 | 3.4% | 71 | | BUFFALO | 1.8% | 2.1% | 68 | 1.9% | | 18 | | MONROE | 4.0% | 5.8% | 4 | 3.0% | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 51 | | BURNETT | 2.7% | 2.6% | 51 | 2.4% | | 26 | | OCONTO | 3.5% | 3.5% | 27 | 2.9% | 65 | | CALUMET | 2.3% | 2.3% | 60 | 1.8% | | 23 | | ONEIDA | 3.7% | 3.5% | 29 | 2.3% | 42 | | CHIPPEWA | 2.9% | 3.0% | 41 | 1.8% | | 68 | | OUTAGAMIE | 2.2% | 2.2% | 66 | 2.0% | 17 | | CLARK | 4.1% | 4.0% | 21 | 2.7% | | 70 | | OZAUKEE | 2.1% | 2.1% | 69 | 1.5% | 28 | | COLUMBIA | 3.3% | 3.5% | 26 | 2.3% | | 47 | | PEPIN | 2.8% | 2.8% | 46 | 2.2% | 38 | | CRAWFORD | 3.0% | 3.0% | 42 | 2.7% | | 40 | | PIERCE | 3.0% | 2.3% | 64 | 1.6% | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 72 | | DANE | 1.5% | 1.6% | 72 | 1.1% | | 33 | | POLK | 3.2% | 2.7% | 49 | 2.4% | 63 | | DODGE | 2.3% | 4.7% | 9 | 1.7% | | 52 | | PORTAGE | 2.6% | 4.2% | 16 | 2.1% | 54 | | DOOR | 2.6% | 2.6% | 50 | 1.8% | | 5 | | PRICE | 4.6% | 4.3% | 15 | 3.5% | 31 | | DOUGLAS | 3.2% | 3.8% | 24 | 2.2% | | 16 | | RACINE | 4.1% | 4.5% | 12 | 3.9% | 57 | | DUNN | 2.5% | 2.4% | 57 | 1.7% | | 10 | | RICHLAND | 4.3% | 3.2% | 37 | 2.1% | 50 | | EAU CLAIRE | 2.7% | 3.1% | 38 | 1.8% | | 8 | | ROCK | 4.4% | 4.7% | 11 | 3.1% | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13 | | FLORENCE | 4.2% | 4.1% | 18 | 3.4% | | 7 | | RUSK | 4.4% | 5.3% | 5 | 2.8% | 44 | | FOND DU LAC | 2.8% | 3.2% | 36 | 1.8% | | 66 | | SAUK | 2.3% | 2.3% | 61 | 1.7% | 12 | | FOREST | 4.2% | 4.7% | 10 | 2.9% | | 21 | | SAWYER | 3.8% | 4.0% | 20 | 2.5% | 32 | | GRANT | 3.2% | 3.3% | 34 | 2.5% | | 29 | | SHAWANO | 3.3% | 3.3% | 35 | 2.4% | 34 | | GREEN | 3.1% | 3.3% | 32 | 2.1% | | 69 | | SHEBOYGAN | 2.2% | 2.2% | 67 | 1.6% | 53 | | GREEN LAKE | 2.6% | 3.0% | 39 | 2.0% | | 56 | | ST. CROIX | 2.6% | 2.1% | 71 | 1.6% | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 67 | | IOWA | 2.2% | 2.2% | 65 | 1.9% | | 49 | | TAYLOR | 2.8% | 2.5% | 53 | 1.7% | 20 | | IRON | 3.8% | 4.4% | 14 | 2.9% | | 41 | | TREMPEALEAU | 2.9% | 3.4% | 30 | 2.2% | 27 | | JACKSON | 3.5% | 2.5% | 54 | 1.7% | | 37 | | VERNON | 3.0% | 3.3% | 31 | 2.8% | 59 | | JEFFERSON | 2.4% | 2.4% | 56 | 1.7% | | 55 | | VILAS | 2.6% | 2.4% | 59 | 1.9% | 3 | | JUNEAU | 4.9% | 6.3% | 2 | 4.2% | | 60 | | WALWORTH | 2.4% | 2.3% | 62 | 1.8% | 35 | | KENOSHA | 3.1% | 3.3% | 33 | 2.6% | | 14 | | WASHBURN | 4.2% | 4.0% | 22 | 3.5% | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 62 | | KEWAUNEE | 2.4% | 2.1% | 70 | 1.7% | | 48 | | WASHINGTON | 2.8% | 2.6% | 52 | 1.7% | 45 | | LA CROSSE | 2.8% | 3.0% | 40 | 2.6% | | 64 | | WAUKESHA | 2.3% | 2.4% | 55 | 1.8% | 25 | | LAFAYETTE | 3.6% | 3.5% | 28 | 2.4% | | 39 | | WAUPACA | 3.0% | 2.8% | 47 | 2.5% | 15 | | LANGLADE | 4.1% | 5.2% | 6 | 4.2% | | 30 | | WAUSHARA | 3.2% | 4.2% | 17 | 2.4% | 22 | | LINCOLN | 3.8% | 3.8% | 25 | 2.8% | | 58 | | WINNEBAGO | 2.5% | 2.4% | 58 | 1.6% | 36 | | MANITOWOC | 3.1% | 2.7% | 48 | 2.4% | | 24 | | WOOD | 3.6% | 5.1% | 7 | 2.2% | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Bureau of Labor Market Information and Customer Service | WISCONSIN CITIES Unemployment Rates September 2000 (Not Seasonally Adjusted) | RANK | CITY | RATE | LAST RATE | LAST RANK | YR AGO RATE | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18 | | APPLETON | 3.0% | 3.0% | 17 | 2.5% | 2 | | BELOIT | 6.7% | 7.5% | 2 | 4.9% | 25 | | BROOKFIELD | 2.2% | 2.1% | 25 | 1.9% | 15 | | EAU CLAIRE | 3.3% | 3.7% | 11 | 2.1% | 13 | | FOND DU LAC | 3.5% | 3.9% | 9 | 2.3% | 23 | | FRANKLIN | 2.4% | 2.3% | 22 | 1.9% | | | | | | | | 10 | | GREEN BAY | 3.7% | 3.7% | 12 | 2.8% | 26 | | GREENFIELD | 2.1% | 2.1% | 24 | 1.6% | 4 | | JANESVILLE | 4.6% | 4.9% | 5 | 3.2% | 7 | | KENOSHA | 3.9% | 4.1% | 8 | 3.3% | 9 | | LA CROSSE | 3.7% | 4.1% | 7 | 3.5% | 27 | | MADISON | 1.8% | 1.9% | 27 | 1.3% | | | | | | | | 11 | | MANITOWOC | 3.6% | 3.2% | 16 | 2.7% | 28 | | MENOMONEE FALLS | 1.8% | 1.8% | 28 | 1.3% | 3 | | MILWAUKEE | 6.3% | 6.5% | 3 | 4.4% | 19 | | NEENAH | 2.8% | 2.7% | 19 | 2.1% | 24 | | NEW BERLIN | 2.3% | 2.1% | 26 | 1.4% | 20 | | OAK CREEK | 2.6% | 2.6% | 20 | 1.8% | | | | | | | | 14 | | OSHKOSH | 3.4% | 3.3% | 15 | 2.0% | 1 | | RACINE | 7.6% | 8.5% | 1 | 7.1% | 21 | | SHEBOYGAN | 2.6% | 2.5% | 21 | 1.9% | 8 | | STEVENS POINT | 3.8% | 5.3% | 4 | 3.1% | 12 | | SUPERIOR | 3.5% | 4.1% | 6 | 2.4% | 16 | | WAUKESHA | 3.2% | 3.6% | 14 | 2.5% | 5 | | WAUSAU | 4.3% | 3.7% | 13 | 3.0% | 22 | | WAUWATOSA | 2.5% | 2.3% | 23 | 1.8% | 17 | | WEST ALLIS | 3.1% | 3.0% | 18 | 2.2% | 6 | | WEST BEND | 4.2% | 3.8% | 10 | 2.3% | | Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Bureau of Labor Market Information and Customer Service | WISCONSIN LABOR FORCE SUMMARY IN THOUSANDS | | | | | | Net Change From | | ITEM | Prelim. Sep. 2000 | Final Aug. 2000 | Year Ago Sep. 1999 | Month Ago | Year Ago | | | | | | | | | PLACE OF RESIDENCE DATA | | | | | | | CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE | 3021.6 | 3059.8 | 2889.3 | -38.2 | 132.3 | | UNEMPLOYMENT | 93.6 | 98.7 | 65.5 | -5.1 | 28.1 | | UNEMPLOYMENT RATE | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.3 | -0.1 | 0.8 | | EMPLOYMENT (1) | 2928.1 | 2961.2 | 2823.8 | -33.1 | 104.3 | | | | | | | | | PLACE OF WORK DATA | | | | | | | NONFARM WAGE & SALARY | 2843.3 | 2836.8 | 2800.8 | 6.5 | 42.5 | | MANUFACTURING | 615.3 | 622.7 | 616.6 | -7.4 | -1.3 | | DURABLE GOODS | 375.5 | 379.4 | 375.9 | -3.9 | -0.4 | | Lumber and Wood Products | 33.1 | 33.6 | 32.8 | -0.5 | 0.3 | | Furniture and Fixtures | 18.9 | 19.1 | 17.8 | -0.2 | 1.1 | | Stone, Clay & Glass Products | 12.7 | 12.7 | 11.9 | 0.0 | 0.8 | | Primary Metal Industries | 26.0 | 26.5 | 25.7 | -0.5 | 0.3 | | Fabricated Metal Products | 69.0 | 69.7 | 68.3 | -0.7 | 0.7 | | Nonelectrical Machinery | 108.4 | 109.3 | 110.8 | -0.9 | -2.4 | | Electrical Machinery | 45.2 | 45.6 | 45.9 | -0.4 | -0.7 | | Transportation Equipment | 33.9 | 34.5 | 34.0 | -0.6 | -0.1 | Prof., Scient. & Control Instruments | 17.5 | 17.9 | 17.7 | -0.4 | -0.2 | | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 10.7 | 10.6 | 11.0 | 0.1 | -0.3 | | | | | | | | | NONDURABLE GOODS | 239.8 | 243.2 | 240.7 | -3.4 | -0.9 | | Food and Kindred Products | 68.2 | 69.5 | 67.7 | -1.3 | 0.5 | | Textile Mill Products | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 0.0 | -0.2 | Apparel & Other Finished Products | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | -0.1 | -0.1 | | Paper and Allied Products | 50.8 | 52.2 | | | |