Madison – Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today announced that nine of the state’s metropolitan statistical area’s (MSA) showed a slight increase in their unemployment rates in December over the prior month.
However, the unemployment rates in three of the state’s MSAs decreased and one remained the same. In the state’s largest metropolitan center, Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, the unemployment rate decreased from 4.7 to 4.5 percent.
The Oshkosh-Neenah MSA and the Sheboygan MSA rates each decreased from 3.9 in November to 3.8 in December. The Madison MSA remained steady at 3.1 percent for the second consecutive month and was the lowest rate for the state.
The highest metro area unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in the Racine MSA. The Wausau and Janesville MSAs showed the same rates as December 2004, while the remaining MSAs showed increases in their rates compared to December 2004.
While unemployment rates typically show a rise of a .1 or .2 between November and December. Wisconsin ended 2005 with a preliminary annual average unemployment rate for 2005 of 4.7 percent. That is the lowest annual average unemployment rate for Wisconsin since a 4.4 percent rate was measured in 2001.
Total nonfarm wage and salary employment estimates continue to show job growth throughout the state with the majority of MSAs reporting a net increase in total jobs from December 2004.
COUNTY RATES
Sixty-two of the state’s 72 counties posted a December unemployment rate that was higher than November’s. Three counties remained unchanged, monthly, while seven counties’ rates decreased.
Menominee County had the highest county-level unemployment rate in December at 9.1 percent, while Dane County was the lowest at 2.8 percent. Twenty-five counties had unemployment rates in December that were lower than the state’s unadjusted unemployment rate of 4.5 percent.
Ten counties had rates that were 3.9 percent or lower. Fifty counties measured higher unemployment rates than in December 2004. Eight counties’ rates remained unchanged and 14 counties had rates that were lower than one year ago. The county with the largest decrease in its unemployment rate compared to last December was Iron County, which dropped from 8.9 percent to 8.3 percent.
Menominee County measured the largest annual increase in its rate from 8.1 percent in December 2004 to 9.1 percent in December 2005. Milwaukee County’s rate remained unchanged at 5.2 percent, annually.
“While our December unemployment rates show a small increase, such an increase is typical between November and December. Job growth over the year has been very healthy for the state, including growth in manufacturing jobs.” Secretary Gassman said.
To view release on Web please visit (PDF with charts including local data): http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dwd/newsreleases/2006/unemployment/dec05_local_lmi.pdf
