CONTACT: John Dipko, Communications Director, 608-266-6753
Seasonally adjusted rate at lowest point since February ’09; government job totals decline
MADISON – Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman announced today that unemployment dropped to a seasonally adjusted 7.9 percent in June, a full percentage point lower than in June 2009, and its lowest point since February 2009. June was the third straight month that saw a drop in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate.
Wisconsin’s unemployment rate remains below the national unemployment rate of 9.5 percent with seasonal adjustment and 9.6 percent without seasonal adjustment. Through May 2010, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate remains below that of other heavy-manufacturing Midwest states including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
“We continue to see signs of a slow, steady recovery in Wisconsin, with tens of thousands of jobs added in 2010 and our unemployment rate continuing to move in the right direction,” Secretary Gassman said. “But we still have a lot of work ahead of us to ensure workers have the skills they need as the nation’s economy recovers and new job opportunities arise.”
Unemployment Rate
Wisconsin’s unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) dropped to 7.9 percent in June from 8.2 percent in May, lower than the June 2009 rate of 8.9 percent and at its lowest rate since February 2009, when the rate was 7.7 percent.
Without adjustment for seasonal factors, the state unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in June, an increase from 7.7 percent in May that reflects expected changes in the labor force such as students seeking jobs after the end of the school year. Every June over the past decade saw an unemployment rate increase without seasonal adjustment.
Jobs Numbers
With seasonal adjustment, Wisconsin posted a slight decrease in total private-sector jobs (-1,000) but with increases in specific categories such as trade (3,800), construction (500) and manufacturing of non-durable goods (200). The biggest area of job decline was in government, which posted a total drop of 7,200 jobs due in large part to the completion of census jobs and the end of school year jobs.
Without seasonal adjustment, Wisconsin added 38,300 private-sector jobs in June, including 8,300 in manufacturing, 7,900 in trade and 5,700 in construction. The number of government jobs dropped by 14,800.
