Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Wednesday, April 25, 2001 Governor Scott McCallum Secretary Jennifer Reinert

News Media Contact Christopher Marschman 608/261-6705 e-mail: news@dwd.state.wi.us fax: 608/266-1784

Contact: Terry Ludeman, 608/267-3262

MADISON – March unemployment rates in Wisconsin counties and municipalities largely reflected the decrease experienced by the state overall according to employment data released today by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD).

Fifty-eight of Wisconsin’s 72 counties reported some measure of improvement between February and March, in local area unemployment rates released Wednesday. Eleven counties reported increased unemployment rates between February and March, while four counties reported no change.

Ten of the State’s eleven metropolitan statistical areas reported improvements in unemployment rates between February and March. Racine was unchanged. The greatest over the month improvement was seen in the Janesville/Beloit Metro Area, where the rate went from 7.4 percent in February to 5.9 percent in March. The Madison Metro Area reported a 2.2 percent unadjusted unemployment rate for the state’s low, followed by Sheboygan at 3.3 percent. Racine had the highest metropolitan area unemployment rate at 6.3 percent in the state, unchanged from February.

"Historically we are very much in-line with normal unemployment statistics for this time of year in Wisconsin," DWD Secretary Jennifer Reinert said.

Since 1992, the unemployment rate for the first three calendar months has averaged 4.7 percent, while the unemployment rate for the first three months of 2001 has averaged 4.8 percent.

Most of the state’s metropolitan statistical areas reported continued softness in manufacturing and construction, mirroring the states’ figures released last week. Only the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area reported slight improvements in manufacturing over the month. Three metro areas reported basically no change from February figures. The three were Sheboygan, La Crosse and Kenosha.

Trade appeared to see the best improvements in employment levels, with 5,500 additional jobs in the state. Nearly all areas of the state reported increases in trade employment.

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 Employment and Labor Force
Household Survey

Unadjusted estimates	March 2001	Feb. 2001	March 2000
Total labor force	3,027,400	3,027,600	2,861,800
Employed	2,881,400	2,872,800	2,739,600
Unemployed	145,900	154,800	122,200
Wis. Unemployment Rate	4.8	5.1	4.3
U.S. Unemployment Rate	4.6	4.6	4.3

 

Seasonably adjusted	March 2001	Feb. 2001	March 2000
Total labor force	3,058,000	3,063,700	2,891,400
Employed	2,931,300	2,931,400	2,788,400
Unemployed	126,700	132,200	103,000
Wis. Unemployment	4.1	4.3	3.6
U.S. Unemployment	4.3	4.2	4.0

 

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March State Rank *February Area Rank	Unemployment % seasonally adjusted	March 2001	Feb. 2001	March 2000
27th	Wisconsin	4.1	4.3	3.6
151st	Appleton-Oshkosh	3.1	3.2	2.6
278th	Eau Claire	4.0	4.7	3.9
154th	Green Bay	3.2	3.3	2.7
305th	Janesville-Beloit	5.8	6.7	5.0
248th	Kenosha	4.4	4.5	3.8
145th	La Crosse	3.6	3.5	3.5
20th	Madison	1.8	1.8	1.7
185th	Milwaukee-Waukesha	4.1	4.2	3.8
26th	Racine	5.8	5.6	4.6
134th	Sheboygan	3.1	3.3	2.3
278th	Wausau	4.0	4.3	4.3
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

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Maps of March 2001 Unemployment Rates by County

WISCONSIN COUNTIES Unemployment Rates March 2001 Not Seasonally Adjusted) RANK COUNTY RATE LAST  RATE  LAST RANK YR    AGO  RATE RANK COUNTY RATE LAST  RATE  LAST RANK YR    AGO  RATE    41 ADAMS 6.0% 6.7% 37 6.1% 49 MARATHON 5.3% 5.9% 46 5.8% 6 ASHLAND 9.3% 10.1% 7 9.5% 22 MARINETTE 7.6% 7.9% 23 6.1% 20 BARRON 7.9% 7.8% 26 6.2% 3 MARQUETTE 10.1% 11.2% 4 8.6% 10 BAYFIELD 9.0% 9.2% 11 9.7% 9 MENOMINEE 9.1% 8.9% 12 8.7% 67 BROWN 3.7% 3.9% 65 3.1% 54 MILWAUKEE 4.9% 5.2% 54 4.7% 52 BUFFALO 5.0% 5.5% 52 4.8% 40 MONROE 6.2% 6.1% 45 5.4%    29 BURNETT 7.0% 7.3% 31 6.1% 24 OCONTO 7.3% 7.8% 24 6.2% 66 CALUMET 3.8% 3.8% 66 2.8% 25 ONEIDA 7.3% 7.8% 25 7.8% 32 CHIPPEWA 6.8% 7.9% 22 6.5% 63 OUTAGAMIE 4.0% 4.1% 64 3.3% 1 CLARK 10.9% 11.7% 2 8.5% 71 OZAUKEE 2.6% 2.6% 71 2.3% 39 COLUMBIA 6.2% 6.7% 38 5.8% 18 PEPIN 8.0% 9.2% 9 7.1% 33 CRAWFORD 6.8% 7.2% 34 4.6% 59 PIERCE 4.4% 4.6% 60 4.1%    72 DANE 2.2% 2.3% 72 2.0% 17 POLK 8.1% 8.0% 21 5.4% 53 DODGE 5.0% 5.1% 55 3.8% 50 PORTAGE 5.3% 5.6% 50 4.6% 19 DOOR 7.9% 8.5% 16 7.6% 5 PRICE 9.4% 11.6% 3 9.9% 43 DOUGLAS 5.8% 6.5% 42 6.1% 38 RACINE 6.3% 6.3% 44 5.1% 51 DUNN 5.1% 5.4% 53 5.9% 35 RICHLAND 6.6% 6.7% 41 4.9% 60 EAU CLAIRE 4.3% 4.7% 59 4.3% 42 ROCK 5.9% 7.4% 30 5.0%    11 FLORENCE 8.7% 10.6% 5 10.1% 7 RUSK 9.2% 12.0% 1 10.6% 56 FOND DU LAC 4.7% 5.0% 56 3.9% 58 SAUK 4.6% 4.9% 57 4.1% 8 FOREST 9.2% 8.8% 13 9.6% 16 SAWYER 8.3% 8.6% 14 8.6% 21 GRANT 7.9% 7.3% 33 4.3% 36 SHAWANO 6.3% 6.7% 39 5.7% 44 GREEN 5.8% 6.5% 43 4.5% 68 SHEBOYGAN 3.3% 3.6% 68 2.5% 34 GREEN LAKE 6.6% 7.5% 29 5.8% 45 ST. CROIX 5.8% 5.6% 51 3.7%    47 IOWA 5.4% 5.8% 47 4.5% 4 TAYLOR 9.5% 9.9% 8 7.8% 12 IRON 8.7% 8.4% 18 10.8% 23 TREMPEALEAU 7.5% 8.1% 20 6.5% 30 JACKSON 7.0% 6.9% 35 6.0% 31 VERNON 6.9% 7.6% 28 5.8% 62 JEFFERSON 4.1% 4.4% 62 3.5% 13 VILAS 8.6% 8.4% 17 8.8% 2 JUNEAU 10.4% 10.6% 6 8.9% 64 WALWORTH 3.9% 4.4% 61 3.4% 57 KENOSHA 4.7% 4.9% 58 4.0% 14 WASHBURN 8.5% 8.6% 15 9.1%    55 KEWAUNEE 4.8% 5.6% 49 3.4% 65 WASHINGTON 3.9% 3.7% 67 3.0% 61 LA CROSSE 4.2% 4.3% 63 4.0% 70 WAUKESHA 3.1% 3.1% 70 2.7% 27 LAFAYETTE 7.2% 7.3% 32 5.3% 48 WAUPACA 5.4% 5.7% 48 4.7% 15 LANGLADE 8.4% 9.2% 10 8.3% 37 WAUSHARA 6.3% 6.7% 40 5.7% 26 LINCOLN 7.2% 8.3% 19 7.9% 69 WINNEBAGO 3.3% 3.5% 69 2.7% 46 MANITOWOC 5.7% 6.7% 36 4.3% 28 WOOD 7.0% 7.7% 27 5.6%

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Bureau of Labor Market Information and Customer Service

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WISCONSIN CITIES Unemployment Rates March 2001 (Not Seasonally Adjusted) RANK CITY RATE LAST RATE LAST RANK YR  AGO RATE             16 APPLETON 4.4% 4.7% 17 3.6% 2 BELOIT 8.8% 10.1% 1 7.5% 27 BROOKFIELD 2.2% 2.3% 27 2.2% 14 EAU CLAIRE 4.8% 5.4% 12 4.8% 6 FOND DU LAC 5.9% 6.1% 8 4.4% 22 FRANKLIN 3.2% 3.4% 22 2.9% 9 GREEN BAY 5.6% 6.0% 9 4.8% 24 GREENFIELD 2.8% 2.6% 25 2.4% 10 JANESVILLE 5.5% 7.4% 4 4.9% 7 KENOSHA 5.8% 6.0% 10 5.2% 13 LA CROSSE 5.1% 5.3% 13 4.9% 28 MADISON 2.2% 2.3% 28 2.0% 3 MANITOWOC 6.9% 8.6% 3 5.1% 26 MENOMONEE FALLS 2.5% 2.5% 26 2.1% 4 MILWAUKEE 6.9% 7.2% 6 6.7% 17 NEENAH 4.2% 5.0% 15 3.2% 25 NEW BERLIN 2.5% 2.6% 24 2.2% 21 OAK CREEK 3.6% 4.0% 20 3.0% 20 OSHKOSH 3.7% 3.9% 21 3.2% 1 RACINE 9.9% 9.7% 2 7.6% 18 SHEBOYGAN 4.1% 4.7% 16 3.0% 5 STEVENS POINT 6.6% 7.3% 5 5.8% 12 SUPERIOR 5.3% 5.9% 11 5.5% 15 WAUKESHA 4.5% 4.3% 18 4.0% 11 WAUSAU 5.4% 6.1% 7 7.6% 23 WAUWATOSA 3.0% 3.3% 23 2.9% 19 WEST ALLIS 3.9% 4.2% 19 3.4% 8 WEST BEND 5.7% 5.1% 14 4.3%

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Bureau of Labor Market Information and Customer Service

 

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WISCONSIN LABOR FORCE SUMMARY IN THOUSANDS         Net Change From ITEM Prelim. March 2001 Final  Feb.   2001 Year Ago March 2000 Month Ago  Year Ago              PLACE OF RESIDENCE DATA               CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE 3027.4 3027.6 2861.8 -0.2 165.6   UNEMPLOYMENT 145.9 154.8 122.2 -8.9 23.7   UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 4.8 5.1 4.3 -0.3 0.5   EMPLOYMENT (1) 2881.4 2872.8 2739.6 8.6 141.8             PLACE OF WORK DATA           NONFARM WAGE & SALARY 2804.2 2792.2 2784.5 12.0 19.7   MANUFACTURING 600.9 603.4 614.0 -2.5 -13.1   DURABLE GOODS 363.9 366.3 375.4 -2.4 -11.5      Lumber and Wood Products 30.3 30.6 31.7 -0.3 -1.4      Furniture and Fixtures 18.8 18.8 18.3 0.0 0.5      Stone, Clay & Glass Products 10.6 10.4 10.8 0.2 -0.2      Primary Metal Industries 24.4 25.0 26.3 -0.6 -1.9      Fabricated Metal Products 65.2 65.9 67.1 -0.7 -1.9      Nonelectrical Machinery 106.9 107.6 111.4 -0.7 -4.5      Electrical Machinery 44.7 45.0 46.5 -0.3 -1.8      Transportation Equipment 33.6 33.8 34.8 -0.2 -1.2      Prof., Scient. & Control      Instruments 18.2 18.2 17.8 0.0