Madison – Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today announced that unemployment rates in nine of Wisconsin’s 12 metropolitan statistical areas decreased over the prior month and rates in the remaining three MSAs were unchanged. The Fond du Lac MSA registered the largest monthly metro area decline, falling seven-tenths of a percentage point to 4.0 percent. Six metro area’s unemployment rates were under four percent. The Madison MSA, at 3.0 percent was the lowest among metro areas.
“Wisconsin’s labor market improved again last month with decreasing unemployment over-the-month in nine of 12 metro areas and more jobs than at this time last year in the majority of counties and metropolitan areas,” Secretary Gassman said. “Wisconsin’s economy is on the right track and we will continue our efforts to grow Wisconsin’s economy across the entire state.”
Preliminary metro area nonfarm wage and salary estimates for September show monthly net job gains in five metro areas and one metro area remained unchanged. Net changes in September can be attributed to a seasonal mix of job gains in school employment offset by decreases in leisure and hospitality employment as the tourism-related sector winds down after the summer peak.
Compared to September 2005, eight of the twelve metro areas showed a net increase in job totals. The Madison MSA and the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis MSA combined had over 13,600 more jobs. The number of jobs in the Madison MSA increased by 7,200 over the year. The number of jobs in the Milwaukee MSA increased by 6,400 over the year.
County Rates
Forty-five of Wisconsin’s 72 counties’ unemployment rates decreased in September over the August rates; eleven were unchanged; and 16 counties showed increases from one-tenth to six-tenths of a percentage point. Menominee County monthly change dropped from 14.0 percent in August to 8.7 percent in September. Dane County’s unemployment rate, at 2.9 percent, was the state’s lowest. Thirty-two counties’ rates in September were under the four percent mark.
From an annual perspective, the data shows a slight rise in unemployment rates across the state, 23 counties posted lower unemployment rates. Florence County’s rate dropped a full percentage point, to 5.1 percent.
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Employment and Labor Force
Place of Residence Data
Unadjusted labor force estimates
Current Month Ago Year Ago
Total labor force 3,088,000 3,101,800 3,042,600
Employed 2,962,200 2,970,300 2,920,000
Unemployed 125,900 131,600 122,600
Wis. Unemployment Rate 4.1% 4.2% 4.0%
U.S. Unemployment Rate 4.4% 4.6% 4.8%
Adjusted labor force estimates
Current Month Ago Year Ago
Total labor force 3,090,000 3,074,200 3,040,900
Employed 2,945,700 2,932,400 2,899,100
Unemployed 144,300 141,700 141,900
Wis. Unemployment Rate 4.7% 4.6% 4.7%
U.S. Unemployment Rate 4.6% 4.7% 5.1%
Unadjusted Unemployment Rate, by WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
MSA Current Month Ago Year Ago
Wisconsin 4.1 4.2 4.0
Appleton 3.9 4.0 3.8
Eau Claire 3.7 3.9 3.6
Fond du Lac 4.0 4.7 3.8
Green Bay 4.0 4.1 4.0
Janesville 4.4 4.5 4.7
La Crosse 3.3 3.3 3.5
Madison 3.0 3.0 2.9
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis 4.7 4.8 4.6
Oshkosh-Neenah 4.0 4.1 3.9
Racine 5.0 5.3 5.2
Sheboygan 3.5 3.5 3.6
Wausau 3.6 3.8 3.5
Place of Work Data
Nonfarm wage and salary estimates, by WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), in thousands
MSA Current Month Ago Year Ago
Wisconsin 2,887.9 2,885.3 2,864.7
Appleton 116.6 117.8 117.1
Eau Claire 81.3 81.1 80.0
Fond du Lac 49.2 48.8 48.9
Green Bay 171.3 171.8 170.0
Janesville 69.4 69.6 69.4
La Crosse 73.2 72.0 73.4
Madison 351.8 352.6 344.6
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis 841.6 843.3 835.2
Oshkosh-Neenah 94.2 92.8 92.6
Racine 82.9 82.4 81.6
Sheboygan 63.8 63.8 63.9
Wausau 72.2 72.4 72.1
Source *Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Office of Economic Advisors
WISCONSIN COUNTIES
Unemployment Rates
September 2006
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
RANK COUNTY RATE LAST LAST YR AGO RANK COUNTY RATE LAST LAST YR AGO
RATE RANK RATE RATE RANK RATE
9 ADAMS 4.8% 5.1% 12 5.0% 54 MARATHON 3.6% 3.8% 49 3.5%
16 ASHLAND 4.4% 5.1% 8 3.9% 4 MARINETTE 5.3% 5.1% 13 5.1%
24 BARRON 4.2% 4.4% 26 3.7% 10 MARQUETTE 4.8% 4.9% 16 4.5%
46 BAYFIELD 3.7% 4.2% 29 4.1% 1 MENOMINEE 8.7% 14.0% 1 8.8%
40 BROWN 4.0% 4.0% 40 3.9% 3 MILWAUKEE 5.5% 5.7% 4 5.5%
70 BUFFALO 3.2% 3.3% 68 3.0% 56 MONROE 3.6% 3.5% 62 3.4%
42 BURNETT 3.8% 4.0% 39 3.8% 12 OCONTO 4.7% 4.6% 20 4.6%
51 CALUMET 3.7% 3.6% 57 3.5% 31 ONEIDA 4.1% 4.2% 30 4.1%
41 CHIPPEWA 3.8% 4.1% 33 3.8% 39 OUTAGAMIE 4.0% 4.1% 36 3.8%
30 CLARK 4.1% 4.3% 28 3.9% 69 OZAUKEE 3.3% 3.4% 66 3.4%
44 COLUMBIA 3.8% 3.7% 53 3.5% 65 PEPIN 3.3% 3.8% 46 3.8%
53 CRAWFORD 3.6% 3.8% 48 3.6% 45 PIERCE 3.8% 3.3% 70 3.5%
72 DANE 2.9% 2.9% 72 2.8% 34 POLK 4.1% 3.9% 45 3.8%
22 DODGE 4.2% 5.0% 14 4.2% 58 PORTAGE 3.5% 4.7% 17 3.6%
67 DOOR 3.3% 3.4% 64 3.4% 32 PRICE 4.1% 4.1% 37 3.8%
36 DOUGLAS 4.0% 4.5% 21 4.5% 6 RACINE 5.0% 5.3% 6 5.2%
59 DUNN 3.5% 3.8% 47 3.2% 20 RICHLAND 4.3% 4.0% 42 3.4%
49 EAU CLAIRE 3.7% 3.7% 51 3.5% 18 ROCK 4.4% 4.5% 24 4.7%
5 FLORENCE 5.1% 5.0% 15 6.1% 7 RUSK 5.0% 5.2% 7 4.5%
35 FOND DU LAC 4.0% 4.7% 18 3.8% 57 SAUK 3.6% 3.5% 63 3.4%
8 FOREST 4.9% 5.9% 2 5.0% 25 SAWYER 4.2% 4.4% 27 3.9%
48 GRANT 3.7% 3.8% 50 3.4% 19 SHAWANO 4.3% 4.2% 32 4.0%
64 GREEN 3.4% 3.4% 67 3.6% 61 SHEBOYGAN 3.5% 3.5% 61 3.6%
29 GREEN LAKE 4.1% 4.6% 19 4.1% 28 ST. CROIX 4.2% 3.7% 54 3.9%
62 IOWA 3.5% 3.2% 71 3.4% 63 TAYLOR 3.4% 3.5% 60 3.4%
2 IRON 6.5% 5.9% 3 5.8% 71 TREMPEALEAU 3.2% 3.3% 69 3.1%
26 JACKSON 4.2% 4.2% 31 4.4% 33 VERNON 4.1% 4.1% 38 3.8%
52 JEFFERSON 3.7% 3.6% 58 3.6% 47 VILAS 3.7% 3.9% 43 3.9%
15 JUNEAU 4.5% 4.5% 25 4.6% 55 WALWORTH 3.6% 3.6% 56 3.4%
13 KENOSHA 4.6% 5.1% 10 4.9% 11 WASHBURN 4.7% 5.1% 11 4.2%
50 KEWAUNEE 3.7% 3.7% 52 4.0% 43 WASHINGTON 3.8% 3.9% 44 3.5%
68 LA CROSSE 3.3% 3.4% 65 3.5% 60 WAUKESHA 3.5% 3.6% 55 3.4%
66 LAFAYETTE 3.3% 3.5% 59 3.3% 27 WAUPACA 4.2% 4.0% 41 4.3%
14 LANGLADE 4.5% 5.1% 9 4.6% 23 WAUSHARA 4.2% 4.5% 22 3.9%
17 LINCOLN 4.4% 4.5% 23 4.3% 38 WINNEBAGO 4.0% 4.1% 35 3.9%
37 MANITOWOC 4.0% 4.1% 34 3.9% 21 WOOD 4.2% 5.5% 5 4.3%
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development – Bureau of Workforce Information
WISCONSIN CITIES
Unemployment Rates
September 2006
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
RANK CITY RATE LAST LAST YR AGO
RATE RANK RATE
7 APPLETON CITY 5.2% 5.6% 9 4.9%
3 BELOIT CITY 6.5% 7.0% 3 6.5%
27 BROOKFIELD CITY 3.3% 3.2% 27 3.1%
18 EAU CLAIRE CITY 4.1% 4.2% 19 3.8%
8 FOND DU LAC CITY 5.0% 5.8% 6 4.6%
26 FRANKLIN CITY 3.3% 3.3% 26 3.4%
4 GREEN BAY CITY 5.8% 5.9% 4 5.8%
20 GREENFIELD CITY 3.9% 4.0% 20 3.9%
12 JANESVILLE CITY 4.6% 4.4% 16 5.2%
6 KENOSHA CITY 5.2% 5.8% 7 5.7%
19 LA CROSSE CITY 4.0% 4.2% 18 4.2%
28 MADISON CITY 3.0% 3.0% 28 2.9%
11 MANITOWOC CITY 4.6% 4.8% 12 4.8%
24 MENOMONEE FALLS VILLAGE 3.5% 3.5% 25 3.4%
2 MILWAUKEE CITY 6.7% 7.1% 2 6.8%
23 NEENAH CITY 3.6% 3.7% 22 3.3%
25 NEW BERLIN CITY 3.4% 3.5% 24 3.4%
22 OAK CREEK CITY 3.6% 3.8% 21 3.8%
15 OSHKOSH CITY 4.3% 4.5% 15 4.3%
1 RACINE CITY 7.7% 8.4% 1 8.3%
16 SHEBOYGAN CITY 4.3% 4.3% 17 4.5%
14 STEVENS POINT CITY 4.3% 5.8% 5 4.6%
17 SUPERIOR CITY 4.1% 4.6% 14 4.6%
13 WAUKESHA CITY 4.4% 4.7% 13 4.2%
9 WAUSAU CITY 5.0% 5.4% 10 4.7%
21 WAUWATOSA CITY 3.8% 3.7% 23 3.5%
10 WEST ALLIS CITY 4.8% 5.0% 11 4.5%
5 WEST BEND CITY 5.3% 5.7% 8 4.7%
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Bureau of Workforce Information
