AUGUST LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATES ANNOUNCED

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Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Governor
Jim Doyle
Secretary
Roberta Gassman

News Media Contact
Rose Lynch
608/266-6753
e-mail: news@dwd.state.wi.us
fax: 608/266-1784

AUGUST LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATES ANNOUNCED

Madison – Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today announced that 43 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties saw improved unemployment rates between July and August, while nine counties experienced no change and twenty counties saw slightly higher rates.

"The August drop in unemployment for a majority of Wisconsin counties and most of the state’s largest cities, following improvements in county and city unemployment rates in July, is encouraging, although the economy remains a concern for those twenty counties that experienced increases in their unemployment rates," Gassman said.

There were seven counties in Wisconsin with unemployment rates under 4.0%. Four counties had rates under 3.5 percent including Dane at 2.9%, Iowa at 3.2%, Burnett at 3.3%, and Sauk at 3.4%. There were five counties with unemployment rates over 8.0%, including Racine at 8.4%, Juneau and Langlade at 8.6 percent, Oconto at 9.3% and Menominee at 12.7%.

Four counties saw improvements of a full percentage point or more, led by Polk County where the rate dropped from 8.2% in July to 5.3% in August and Rock County where the unemployment rate dropped from 8.8% in July to 6.5% in August. Dodge County saw the largest increase in unemployment rate, as the rate increased from 6.0% in July to 7.0% in August.

Among Wisconsin’s eleven Metropolitan Statistical Areas, where unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted, eight saw their seasonally adjusted rates increase, one saw their seasonally adjusted rate improve and two had rates unchanged between July and August.

Manufacturing employment throughout the state continues to lose jobs – down 15,200 jobs from one year ago, even as several other sectors are seeing quite strong positive changes. Trade continues to increase its job totals, retail trade is up 5,700 jobs from last year’s August figure and wholesale trade is up 3,600 jobs. Financial activities and professional and business services are up by a combined 11,400 jobs from one year ago. Private education services are up as is health care services. The Accommodation and Food Services sector is down slightly from one year ago, as is government employment. Administrative support services are up slightly from one year ago.

In total, Wisconsin’s nonfarm jobs increased by 5,400 jobs between July and August, although when seasonally adjusted, this represents a decrease of 8,200 jobs.

Employment and Labor Force
Household Survey

Unadjusted estimates	*Current*	*Month Ago*	*Year Ago*
Total labor force	3,129,400	3,168,000	3,055,400
Employed	2,959,600	2,992,300	2,900,500
Unemployed	169,700	175,700	154,900
Wis. Unemployment Rate	5.4%	5.5%	5.1%
U.S. Unemployment Rate	6.0%	6.3%	5.7%

*Seasonally adjusted*	*Current*	*Month Ago*	*Year Ago*
Total labor force	3,100,800	3,099,600	3,023,600
Employed	2,918,800	2,925,000	2,856,500
Unemployed	182,000	174,600	167,100
Wis. Unemployment Rate	5.9%	5.6%	5.5%
U.S. Unemployment Rate	6.1%	6.2%	5.8%

*State current month Area prior mo..	Unemployment % seasonally adjusted	*Current Month*	*Month Ago*	*Year Ago*
34^th	Wisconsin	5.9	5.6	5.5
102^nd	Appleton-Oshkosh	5.5	5.2	5.2
110^th	Eau Claire	5.5	5.7	5.3
110^th	Green Bay	5.3	5.1	5.1
306^th	Janesville-Beloit	6.9	6.7	6.7
185^th	Kenosha	6.4	4.6	6.0
41^st	La Crosse	4.3	4.0	4.4
12^th	Madison	3.1	3.1	2.9
224^th	Milwaukee-Waukesha	6.3	6.1	5.9
292^nd	Racine	8.6	7.5	7.6
128^th	Sheboygan	5.1	4.6	4.8
77^th	Wausau	5.0	5.0	4.8
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
Bureau of Workforce Information

Maps of August 2003 Unemployment Rates by County

WISCONSIN COUNTIES
Unemployment Rates
August 2003
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)

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

66	ADAMS	3.9%	3.9%	67	3.8%	61	MARATHON	4.3%	4.4%	62	4.1%
10	ASHLAND	6.9%	7.8%	8	7.3%	8	MARINETTE	7.1%	7.2%	11	6.0%
39	BARRON	5.0%	5.1%	37	4.5%	19	MARQUETTE	6.0%	7.3%	10	5.5%
52	BAYFIELD	4.5%	4.9%	42	4.4%	1	MENOMINEE	12.7%	12.9%	1	14.0%
45	BROWN	4.8%	4.9%	43	4.6%	6	MILWAUKEE	7.8%	7.7%	9	7.3%
62	BUFFALO	4.2%	4.8%	47	3.4%	18	MONROE	6.1%	5.0%	40	7.0%

70	BURNETT	3.3%	3.7%	69	4.2%	2	OCONTO	9.3%	9.4%	2	7.1%
54	CALUMET	4.5%	4.4%	63	4.1%	51	ONEIDA	4.6%	4.6%	60	5.2%
40	CHIPPEWA	4.9%	5.4%	29	5.0%	41	OUTAGAMIE	4.9%	5.0%	39	4.8%
28	CLARK	5.5%	5.8%	23	5.4%	43	OZAUKEE	4.9%	4.6%	61	4.3%
27	COLUMBIA	5.6%	5.4%	32	4.8%	57	PEPIN	4.4%	4.9%	41	5.1%
56	CRAWFORD	4.4%	5.0%	38	3.9%	58	PIERCE	4.4%	4.8%	48	4.5%

72	DANE	2.9%	2.9%	72	2.6%	32	POLK	5.3%	8.2%	6	5.1%
9	DODGE	7.0%	6.0%	20	5.0%	37	PORTAGE	5.1%	4.9%	45	5.0%
22	DOOR	5.9%	5.6%	28	3.1%	26	PRICE	5.7%	4.9%	46	4.8%
25	DOUGLAS	5.7%	5.6%	27	4.7%	5	RACINE	8.4%	8.2%	7	7.4%
63	DUNN	4.2%	4.6%	58	3.6%	59	RICHLAND	4.4%	4.7%	52	4.1%
49	EAU CLAIRE	4.6%	4.7%	54	4.2%	14	ROCK	6.5%	8.8%	3	6.3%

13	FLORENCE	6.6%	6.8%	15	6.7%	34	RUSK	5.2%	5.4%	30	5.3%
35	FOND DU LAC	5.1%	5.3%	33	5.4%	69	SAUK	3.4%	3.5%	71	3.3%
11	FOREST	6.8%	7.0%	14	6.5%	55	SAWYER	4.5%	4.1%	65	3.9%
44	GRANT	4.8%	5.1%	36	4.4%	33	SHAWANO	5.3%	5.2%	34	4.8%
30	GREEN	5.4%	6.7%	16	5.0%	48	SHEBOYGAN	4.6%	5.1%	35	4.4%


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