Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Wednesday, September 25, 2002 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

AUGUST LOCAL EMPLOYMENT FIGURES RELEASED

MADISON – Twenty-nine of Wisconsin’s seventy-two counties saw some decrease in their August unemployment rates, while thirty-two counties experienced an increase and eleven remained unchanged from July in figures released today by the Department of Workforce Development. Seventeen counties had rates lower or equal to what they had recorded in August of 2001.

In August we saw a fairly even split among counties that increased in unemployment and those that decreased, with many seeing no change at all,” said DWD Secretary Jennifer Alexander. “Wisconsin's labor market continues to reflect the persistent sluggishness being experienced nationally,” she said.

Twenty-one of Wisconsin’s counties had an unemployment rate of 4.0 percent or less in August, and four of those had rates at or below 3.0 percent. The lowest rate was reported in Dane County at 2.5 percent followed by Vilas County at 2.7 percent and Door County at 2.9 percent. The states’ highest rate was experienced in Menominee County with a 13.5 percent unemployment rate. Juneau County was next at 8.3 percent followed by Langlade County at 7.2 percent.

Of the state’s 28 largest municipalities, Madison had the lowest rate in July at 2.7 percent, followed by Menomonee Falls at 3.4 percent and Brookfield at 3.6 percent. The highest was recorded in Racine at 11.1 percent, followed by Beloit at 9.7 percent and Milwaukee at 9.5 percent. Twenty areas experienced an increase and seven posted decreases while 1 stayed the same in August.

One of the Wisconsin counties particularly hard hit in the past several months, including August, has been St. Croix County. St. Croix County has had several layoffs in manufacturing, and is likely also seeing continued slowdown in employment in the Twin Cities market, particularly in the Twin Cities hard hit hospitality industry.

The Fox River Valley area has had substantially higher unemployment rates than they have had in the recent past. The Wisconsin paper industry has not been as strong over the last eighteen months as it has been in year’s past. The paper industry is down about 600 jobs from one year ago, and last year was a slow year for the industry. The state’s very important printing industry has also been down in the last twenty or so months. Printing is a particularly important industry in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and in the Fox Valley area. Printing is down about 1,500 jobs from one year ago. It was also down for the 2001 year.

(end)

 Employment and Labor Force
Household Survey

Unadjusted estimates	Aug. 2002	July 2002	Aug. 2001
Total labor force	3,089,600	3,116,600	3,024,300
Employed	2,942,900	2,969,900	2,899,200
Unemployed	146,700	146,700	125,100
Wis. Unemployment Rate	4.7%	4.7%	4.1%
U.S. Unemployment Rate	5.7%	6.0%	4.9%

 

Seasonably adjusted	Aug. 2002	July 2002	Aug. 2001
Total labor force	3,058,900	3,047,900	2,992,000
Employed	2,899,400	2,903,100	2,855,900
Unemployed	159,600	144,800	136,100
Wis. Unemployment	5.2%	4.8%	4.5%
U.S. Unemployment	5.7%	5.9%	4.9%

 

---

 

Aug. State Rank *July Area Rank	Unemployment % seasonally adjusted	Aug. 2002	July 2002	Aug. 2001
26th	Wisconsin	5.2	4.8	4.5
77th	Appleton-Oshkosh	4.9	4.4	3.7
86th	Eau Claire	5.1	4.8	5.3
86th	Green Bay	4.8	4.4	4.1
306th	Janesville-Beloit	6.2	6.1	5.5
221st	Kenosha	5.7	4.6	4.9
40th	La Crosse	4.2	3.7	3.7
9th	Madison	2.8	2.7	2.1
178th	Milwaukee-Waukesha	5.5	5.1	4.7
267th	Racine	7.1	6.2	7.3
96th	Sheboygan	4.6	3.9	3.7
46th	Wausau	4.5	4.2	4.1
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 August 2002 Unemployment Rates by County

WISCONSIN COUNTIES Unemployment Rates August 2002 Not Seasonally Adjusted)       COUNTY         RATE  LAST  RATE  LAST  RANK  YR    AGO  RATE       RANK   COUNTY RATE  LAST  RATE  LAST  RANK  YR     AGO  RATE     64 ADAMS 3.5% 3.5% 65 3.7% 61 MARATHON 3.8% 3.7% 62 3.5% 4 ASHLAND 7.1% 7.1% 4 5.6% 14 MARINETTE 5.6% 5.7% 14 5.6% 41 BARRON 4.3% 4.4% 33 3.5% 21 MARQUETTE 5.1% 5.2% 21 4.9% 45 BAYFIELD 4.2% 4.3% 38 3.7% 1 MENOMINEE 13.5% 13.1% 1 11.8% 43 BROWN 4.3% 4.2% 44 3.7% 6 MILWAUKEE 6.8% 6.4% 6 5.9% 68 BUFFALO 3.2% 3.4% 66 3.1% 7 MONROE 6.6% 4.0% 52 6.8%    48 BURNETT 4.2% 4.2% 43 4.7% 8 OCONTO 6.4% 6.1% 8 5.9% 53 CALUMET 4.0% 3.9% 55 3.7% 25 ONEIDA 5.0% 4.4% 37 4.6% 31 CHIPPEWA 4.7% 4.5% 32 5.1% 35 OUTAGAMIE 4.6% 4.4% 36 3.3% 24 CLARK 5.0% 4.7% 30 5.1% 56 OZAUKEE 3.9% 4.0% 50 3.1% 40 COLUMBIA 4.4% 4.3% 41 3.9% 26 PEPIN 4.9% 5.4% 18 4.4% 59 CRAWFORD 3.8% 3.9% 53 3.7% 46 PIERCE 4.2% 4.3% 39 2.9%    72 DANE 2.5% 2.5% 72 1.9% 28 POLK 4.8% 5.1% 22 4.3% 37 DODGE 4.5% 4.7% 28 4.9% 29 PORTAGE 4.8% 4.9% 24 4.5% 70 DOOR 2.9% 3.0% 69 2.9% 33 PRICE 4.6% 4.7% 29 5.6% 32 DOUGLAS 4.6% 4.8% 27 4.0% 5 RACINE 6.9% 6.8% 5 7.1% 65 DUNN 3.4% 3.5% 64 3.2% 57 RICHLAND 3.9% 3.9% 54 3.4% 54 EAU CLAIRE 4.0% 3.9% 56 4.1% 11 ROCK 5.9% 8.0% 2 5.2%    9 FLORENCE 6.3% 6.3% 7 4.3% 27 RUSK 4.9% 5.1% 23 5.6% 23 FOND DU LAC 5.1% 4.3% 42 3.7% 69 SAUK 3.0% 2.9% 70 2.7% 10 FOREST 6.0% 5.6% 16 5.4% 62 SAWYER 3.7% 4.0% 49 3.5% 51 GRANT 4.1% 4.1% 47 4.2% 34 SHAWANO 4.6% 4.4% 35 4.5% 30 GREEN 4.7% 5.4% 17 3.4% 47 SHEBOYGAN 4.2% 4.3% 40 3.4% 42 GREEN LAKE 4.3% 4.4% 34 4.6% 12 ST. CROIX 5.7% 6.0% 11 3.4%    67 IOWA 3.3% 3.7% 61 2.8% 63 TAYLOR 3.7% 3.4% 67 3.2% 16 IRON 5.5% 5.8% 13 4.5% 44 TREMPEALEAU 4.3% 4.0% 51 4.1% 66 JACKSON 3.4% 3.2% 68 3.7% 39 VERNON 4.5% 4.1% 48 3.9% 60 JEFFERSON 3.8% 3.8% 59 3.5% 71 VILAS 2.7% 2.7% 71 2.2% 2 JUNEAU 8.3% 7.6% 3 8.0% 55 WALWORTH 4.0% 3.8% 60 3.3% 19 KENOSHA 5.2% 6.0% 10 4.5% 38 WASHBURN 4.5% 4.5% 31 4.5%    18 KEWAUNEE 5.4% 4.9% 26 3.8% 50 WASHINGTON 4.2% 3.9% 58 3.4% 58 LA CROSSE 3.9% 3.6% 63 3.4% 52 WAUKESHA 4.0% 4.1% 46 3.4% 13 LAFAYETTE 5.7% 5.4% 20 3.6% 36 WAUPACA 4.6% 4.2% 45 3.7% 3 LANGLADE 7.2% 6.1% 9 7.0% 20 WAUSHARA 5.1% 5.4% 19 5.7% 15 LINCOLN 5.6% 5.6% 15 4.7% 49 WINNEBAGO 4.2% 3.9% 57 3.2% 22 MANITOWOC 5.1% 4.9% 25 4.7% 17 WOOD 5.4% 5.9% 12 4.5%

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

---

 

WISCONSIN CITIES Unemployment Rates August 2002 (Not Seasonally Adjusted) RANK CITY RATE LAST RATE LAST RANK YR  AGO RATE             7 APPLETON CITY 6.4% 6.2% 8 4.3% 2 BELOIT CITY 9.7% 10.7% 2 9.3% 26 BROOKFIELD CITY 3.6% 3.5% 25 2.7% 18 EAU CLAIRE CITY 4.9% 4.8% 18 4.9% 5 FOND DU LAC CITY 7.0% 5.9% 11 5.1% 22 FRANKLIN CITY 4.6% 4.3% 22 3.6%    6 GREEN BAY CITY 6.9% 6.6% 6 5.9% 25 GREENFIELD CITY 3.7% 3.5% 26 2.7% 13 JANESVILLE CITY 5.7% 9.5% 3 4.7% 8 KENOSHA CITY 6.3% 7.4% 5 5.7% 17 LA CROSSE CITY 5.1% 4.7% 19 4.5% 28 MADISON CITY 2.7% 2.9% 28 2.2%    9 MANITOWOC CITY 6.3% 5.9% 10 6.0% 27 MENOMONEE FALLS CITY 3.4% 3.0% 27 3.1% 3 MILWAUKEE CITY 9.5% 9.0% 4 8.3% 10 NEENAH CITY 6.0% 5.8% 12 4.2% 24 NEW BERLIN CITY 3.7% 3.7% 23 3.0% 19 OAK CREEK CITY 4.8% 4.6% 20 4.5%    20 OSHKOSH CITY 4.8% 4.4% 21 4.0% 1 RACINE CITY 11.1% 11.0% 1 12.2% 16 SHEBOYGAN CITY 5.1% 5.6% 13 4.0% 4 STEVENS POINT CITY 7.1% 6.5% 7 6.1% 21 SUPERIOR CITY 4.7% 5.1% 16 4.3% 12 WAUKESHA CITY 5.8% 6.0% 9 5.0% 15 WAUSAU CITY 5.3% 4.9% 17 4.5% 23 WAUWATOSA CITY 3.9% 3.7% 24 3.5% 14 WEST ALLIS CITY 5.6% 5.3% 15 4.4% 11 WEST BEND CITY 6.0% 5.6% 14 4.5%

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

---

WISCONSIN LABOR FORCE SUMMARY IN THOUSANDS         Net Change From ITEM Prelim. Aug. 2002 Final  July   2002 Year Ago Aug. 2001 Month Ago  Year Ago              PLACE OF RESIDENCE DATA               CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE 3089.6 3116.6 3024.3 -27.0 65.3   UNEMPLOYMENT 146.7 146.7 125.1 0.0 21.6   UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 4.7 4.7 4.1 0.0 0.6   EMPLOYMENT (1) 2942.9 2969.9 2899.2 -27.0 43.7             PLACE OF WORK DATA           NONFARM WAGE & SALARY 2850.5 2846.2 2839.5 4.3 11.0   MANUFACTURING 577.2 575 590.4 2.2 -13.2   DURABLE GOODS 341.1 340.5 353.1 0.6 -12.0      Lumber and Wood Products 33.3 33.5 33.3 -0.2 0.0      Furniture and Fixtures 20.1 19.8 19.1 0.3 1.0      Stone, Clay & Glass Products 12.2 12 11.9 0.2 0.3      Primary Metal Industries 22.6 22.4 23.6 0.2 -1.0      Fabricated Metal Products 62.6 62.8 63.7 -0.2 -1.1      Nonelectrical Machinery 94.3 94 100.7 0.3 -6.4      Electrical Machinery 37.6 37.9 41.9 -0.3 -4.3      Transportation Equipment 29.8 29.3 30.7 0.5 -0.9      Prof., Scient. & Control      Instruments 17.8 17.8 17.3 0.0 0.5      Miscellaneous Manufacturing 10.9 11 10.8 -0.1 0.1               NONDURABLE GOODS 236.1 234.5 237.3 1.6 -1.2      Food and Kindred Products 71.2 70.1 70.4 1.1 0.8      Textile Mill Products 2.3 2.3 2.3 0.0 0.0      Apparel & Other Finished      Products 5.6 5.5 5.7 0.1 -0.1      Paper and Allied Products 51 51.4 51.6 -0.4 -0.6      Printing, Publishing & Allied 51.6 51.6 53.1 0.0 -1.5      Chemicals and Allied Products 14.9 15 15.1 -0.1 -0.2      Rubber & Misc. Plastic      Products 36.5 35.7 35.8 0.8 0.7      Leather & Leather Products 2.6 2.6 2.9 0.0 -0.3      All Other Nondurable Goods 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.0               MINING 3.1 3.1 3.2 0.0 -0.1   CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION 136.7 137.2 134.2 -0.5 2.5   TRANS, COMM, ELEC, GAS &   SAN. SERV. 130 129.1 132.2 0.9 -2.2   TRADE 653 649.8 651.9 3.2 1.1      WHOLESALE TRADE 138.6 138.2 139.5 0.4 -0.9      RETAIL TRADE 514.4 511.6 512.4 2.8 2.0   FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL   ESTATE 154.6 154.8 151.9 -0.2 2.7   SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS 813.6 808.9 791.8 4.7 21.8   GOVERNMENT 382.3 388.4 383.9 -6.1 -1.6      FEDERAL 30.3 30.2 30.2 0.1 0.1      STATE 92.3 92.2 95.9 0.1 -3.6      LOCAL 259.7 266 257.8 -6.3 1.9               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 3058.9 3047.9 2992.0 11.0 66.9   UNEMPLOYMENT 159.6 144.8 136.1 14.8 23.5       UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 5.2 4.8 4.5 0.4 0.7   EMPLOYMENT 2899.4 2903.1 2855.9 -3.7 43.5   NONFARM WAGE & SALARY 2837.0 2833.3 2825.9 3.7 11.1

News Release Index Page