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Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

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  We've got NEWS
Thursday, October 16, 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

September Unemployment Announced

Madison – Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today announced that Wisconsin's unemployment rate was estimated to be 4.9 percent for September. That compares to 5.4 percent for August and 4.6 percent for September 2002.

"I am pleased to report that Wisconsin's unemployment rate for September was the lowest reported in nearly a year. Our labor market continues to struggle and we have much work to do," Secretary Gassman said. "I, along with other cabinet secretaries, am working closely with Governor Doyle on his Grow Wisconsin Plan to address these important economic issues because low unemployment and a strong labor market are critical to a healthy economy."

September's rate is the lowest rate Wisconsin has experienced since October of 2002, when the rate was 4.6 percent. With young people returning to school, employment drops, but so too does unemployment in a disproportionate manner and the result is a lowering of the unemployment rate.

The number of jobs in Wisconsin's nonfarm wage and salary market dropped by 10,400 from 2,798,500 in August to 2,788,100 in September, while the normal change between August and September is a gain of 11,000 jobs. The number of jobs was estimated at 2,793,600 in September 2002. This is the first time the 2003 monthly total has been lower than the 2002 corresponding monthly total since May. Manufacturing dropped 6,900 jobs from the August total, a slightly larger than usual drop. The seasonally adjusted nonfarm job total declined 20,600 jobs between August and September, the largest month to month decline in over a decade.

The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.7 percent for September compared to 5.9 percent for August and 5.5 percent for September 2002. The national seasonally adjusted rate for September was 6.1 percent, compared to 6.1 percent for August and 5.7 percent for September of 2002.

September employment and unemployment figures for individual counties will be available October 22. This release also is available at www.dwd.state.wi.us/lmi.

 

 

WISCONSIN LABOR FORCE SUMMARY
In Thousands

|

NET CHANGE FROM

|

PRELIM. |

FINAL |

YEAR AGO |

MONTH |

YEAR

ITEM

|

SEPT 03 |

AUG 03 |

SEPT 02 |

AGO |

AGO

PLACE OF RESIDENCE DATA

|

CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE ..............................

|

3087.2

3131.9

3008.2

-44.7

79.0

UNEMPLOYMENT ..........................................

|

150.8

170.2

138.4

-19.4

12.4

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE ..............................

|

4.9

5.4

4.6

-0.5

0.3

EMPLOYMENT (1) ..........................................

|

2936.4

2961.7

2869.8

-25.3

66.6

PLACE OF WORK DATA

|

NONFARM WAGE & SALARY .....................…

|

2788.1

2798.5

2793.6

-10.4

-5.5

TOTAL PRIVATE ..........................................…

|

2392.1

2421.1

2390.1

-29.0

2.0

GOODS PRODUCING .....................................

|

641.8

652.1

666.5

-10.3

-24.7

NATURAL RESOURCES & MINING ..............

|

4.6

4.7

4.3

-0.1

0.3

CONSTRUCTION ........................................…

|

123.1

126.4

131.2

-3.3

-8.1

MANUFACTURING .........................................

|

514.1

521

531

-6.9

-16.9

Durable Goods .........................................…

|

308.2

311.5

323.6

-3.3

-15.4

Nondurable Goods .......................................

|

205.9

209.5

207.4

-3.6

-1.5

SERVICE PRODUCING ..................................

|

2146.3

2146.4

2127.1

-0.1

19.2

TRADE ............................................................

|

436.4

442.0

429.8

-5.6

6.6

Wholesale Trade ..........................................

|

118.5

119

115.1

-0.5

3.4

Retail Trade ........................................……..

|

317.9

323

314.7

-5.1

3.2

TRANS., WAREHOUSE, & UTILITIES ...........

|

105.7

104.2

106.5

1.5

-0.8

Utilities .................................................…….

|

11.3

11.6

11.8

-0.3

-0.5

Information ...............................................….

|

50.5

50.9

50.5

-0.4

0.0

FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES .............................…

|

158.7

159.2

153.6

-0.5

5.1

Finance and Insurance .................................

|

128.5

128.9

125.9

-0.4

2.6

Real Estate, Rental, & Lease .......................

|

30.2

30.3

27.7

-0.1

2.5

PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESS SERVICES ..

|

247.7

248.8

244.3

-1.1

3.4

Prof., Scien., & Tech. Services .................…

|

87.8

89.2

87.3

-1.4

0.5

Mgmt. of Companies and Enterprises ..........

|

32.2

32.7

32.9

-0.5

-0.7

Admin. Support & Waste Mgmt. Services ....

|

127.7

126.9

124.1

0.8

3.6

EDUCATIONAL & HEALTH SERVICES .........

|

366.5

363.6

358.3

2.9

8.2

Educational Services ................................…

|

46.9

43.2

44.8

3.7

2.1

Health Care & Social Assistance ..............…

|

319.6

320.4

313.5

-0.8

6.1

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY .............................

|

248.4

261.8

246.5

-13.4

1.9

Arts, Entertain., & Recreation ...................…

|

37.7

44

36.4

-6.3

1.3

Accommodation & Food Services ................

|

210.7

217.8

210.1

-7.1

0.6

OTHER SERVICES, except Public Admin ......

|

136.4

138.5

134.1

-2.1

2.3

GOVERNMENT ..........................................….

|

396

377.4

403.5

18.6

-7.5

Federal Government .................................…

|

28.5

28.6

29.3

-0.1

-0.8

State Government ........................................

|

99.6

92.9

98.6

6.7

1.0

Local Government ........................................

|

267.9

255.9

275.6

12.0

-7.7

PERSONS INVOLVED IN L-M DISPUTES ..…

|

470.0

470.0

110.0

0.0

360.0

(1) Includes L-M Disputes

---------------------------------------------------------------

CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE ...............................

|

3104.9

3103.3

3020.3

1.6

84.6

UNEMPLOYMENT ..........................................

|

177.3

182.5

165.3

-5.2

12.0

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE ..........................

|

5.7

5.9

5.5

-0.2

0.2

EMPLOYMENT ..............................................

|

2927.6

2920.8

2855.0

6.8

72.6

NONFARM WAGE & SALARY ........................

|

2774.2

2794.6

2780.1

-20.4

-5.9

*Differences in totals may occur as a result of rounding.

 

News Release Index Page

Content Contact: Rose Lynch



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