DWD: April Local Unemployment Rates Announced

Contact: Rose Lynch, (608) 266-6753

Web Audio : http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dwd/newsreleases/2006/unemployment/multimedia/april06_local.mp3
County Maps: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dwd/communications/unemployment/default.htm
Labor Force Summary by MSA: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/oea/xls/wi_msa_quick_table.xls
Labor Force Summary by County: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/oea/xls/county_quick_table.xls

METRO AREAS

Madison – Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman announced today that the unemployment rate decreased in April for every Wisconsin metropolitan statistical area. The state’s unemployment rate also showed improvement at 5.0 percent, down from 5.5 percent in March. The rate decreases in the metropolitan areas ranged from two-tenths to seven-tenths of a percentage point with the Fond du Lac and Wausau MSAs each decreasing by seven-tenths of a point. Eight of the twelve metro areas posted unadjusted April unemployment rates below the state rate of 5.0 percent, with the Madison MSA at the lowest rate at 3.5 percent.

The four metro areas with lower rates compared to one year ago were Eau Claire, Janesville, Oshkosh-Neenah and Racine.

The Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis MSA led with a gain of 8,500 jobs in April. The Madison MSA increased by 3,600 jobs. Compared to April 2005, eight metro areas gained jobs, one metro area was unchanged and three showed a net loss of jobs. The three-county Madison MSA posted a net, annual gain of 5,600 jobs representing the state’s largest metro area job increase.

COUNTY RATES

Unemployment rates in 68 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties decreased from March to April. Twenty-five counties had unemployment rates at least one percent point lower over the prior month. Jackson County’s unemployment rate decreased the most over the month, down 1.9 percent point to 6.3 percent. Milwaukee County remained unchanged. Only three counties in the state, Iron, Menominee and Price, had higher unemployment rates in April compared to March. Dane County, at 3.3 percent, had the state’s lowest county-level unemployment rate in April. Menominee County had the state’s highest county-level unemployment rate in April at 12.0 percent.

Forty-three counties had higher unemployment rates when compared to April 2005. Price County’s rate was two percent points higher than last April representing the highest increase annually. Five counties rates were unchanged. Twenty-four counties had lower unemployment rates led by six-tenths of percentage point decline in both Pepin and Taylor counties’ rates.

“Wisconsin’s labor market continues to show improvement with 68 of 72 counties showing lower unemployment rates in April over the prior month. In addition, the total number of jobs in each of the twelve metro areas showed monthly increases in April,” Secretary Gassman said.

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