Madison – Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today announced that unemployment rates in all twelve Wisconsin metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) decreased or remained the same for October 2006 as compared to the previous month. Janesville, Sheboygan, and Wausau MSAs unemployment rates remained unchanged at 4.4%, 3.5%, and 3.6%, respectively, with the other MSAs reporting improvements in unemployment rates. Nine of the twelve Wisconsin MSAs had unemployment rates below four percent. Madison has the lowest unemployment rate of the state’s MSAs, at 2.9 percent. Racine MSA’s unemployment rate was under five percent at 4.7 percent.
“Most of the state’s largest metropolitan areas added jobs in October, and the majority of Wisconsin counties saw lower unemployment rates,” Secretary Gassman said. “We will continue our focus on growing economic and labor market opportunities, particularly in those areas of the state which continue to have challenges.”
Preliminary estimates of non-farm employment improved in ten of the twelve MSAs over the last month, with Sheboygan MSA employment unchanged and Fond du Lac showing a slight decrease from month earlier levels.
Year-over-year non-farm estimates show employment improvements in eight of the twelve Wisconsin MSAs. The Madison MSA showed a gain of 7,700 jobs, or 2.2% over October 2005. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis MSA increased employment by 8,500 jobs since last October.
County Rates
Forty-six of Wisconsin’s 72 counties registered a monthly decrease in unemployment rates for October 2006. Another ten counties had no change in unemployment rates. Some unemployment rate declines were substantial, as much as nine-tenths of a percentage point for Iron and Pierce Counties. Iron County’s unemployment rate dropped from 6.5 percent to 5.6. Pierce County’s rate fell from 3.8 percent to 2.9 percent. Dane County had the lowest county unemployment rate at 2.8 percent. Increases in unemployment rates across the counties were small by comparison, one-tenth to three-tenths of one percent.
On a year-over-year basis, twenty Wisconsin counties have lower unemployment rates for October 2006. Florence County’s October 2006 unemployment rate of 5.9 percent is almost a full percentage point below last year’s figure of 6.8 percent.
–end–
Employment and Labor Force
Place of Residence Data
Unadjusted labor force estimates
Current Month Ago Year Ago
Total labor force 3,099,600 3,088,000 3,045,100
Employed 2,977,600 2,962,200 2,928,500
Unemployed 122,000 125,900 116,600
Wis. Unemployment Rate 3.9% 4.1% 3.8%
U.S. Unemployment Rate 4.1% 4.4% 4.6%
Adjusted labor force estimates
Current Month Ago Year Ago
Total labor force 3,099,600 3,090,000 3,039,500
Employed 2,956,400 2,945,700 2,899,400
Unemployed 143,200 144,300 140,100
Wis. Unemployment Rate 4.6% 4.7% 4.6%
U.S. Unemployment Rate 4.4% 4.6% 4.9%
Unadjusted Unemployment Rate, by WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
MSA Current Month Ago Year Ago
Wisconsin 3.9 4.1 3.8
Appleton 3.7 3.9 3.6
Eau Claire 3.6 3.7 3.4
Fond du Lac 3.9 4.0 3.7
Green Bay 3.9 4.0 3.8
Janesville 4.4 4.4 4.5
La Crosse 3.2 3.3 3.1
Madison 2.9 3.0 2.7
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis 4.5 4.7 4.4
Oshkosh-Neenah 3.9 4.0 3.6
Racine 4.7 5.0 4.9
Sheboygan 3.5 3.5 3.4
Wausau 3.6 3.6 3.3
Place of Work Data
Nonfarm wage and salary estimates, by WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), in thousands
MSA Current Month Ago Year Ago
Wisconsin 2,898.6 2,888.7 2,874.8
Appleton 117.1 116.9 116.7
Eau Claire 82.4 81.9 81.2
Fond du Lac 49.0 49.3 49.1
Green Bay 172.6 171.2 172.7
Janesville 69.7 69.6 69.8
La Crosse 72.7 72.1 73.9
Madison 354.4 352.2 346.7
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis 846.8 843.2 838.3
Oshkosh-Neenah 94.8 94.2 93.7
Racine 82.8 82.7 82.5
Sheboygan 63.7 63.7 63.6
Wausau 72.9 72.1 72.5
Source *Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Office of Economic Advisors
WISCONSIN COUNTIES
Unemployment Rates
October 2006
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
RANK COUNTY RATE LAST RATE LASTRANK YR AGO RATE RANK COUNTY RATE LAST RATE LAST RANK YR AGO RATE
6 ADAMS 4.9% 4.8% 10 5.0% 49 MARATHON 3.6% 3.6% 56 3.3%
19 ASHLAND 4.3% 4.4% 16 5.0% 4 MARINETTE 4.9% 5.3% 4 5.1%
17 BARRON 4.4% 4.2% 27 3.4% 10 MARQUETTE 4.6% 4.8% 9 4.5%
33 BAYFIELD 4.0% 3.7% 52 3.7% 1 MENOMINEE 8.9% 8.7% 1 7.9%
34 BROWN 3.9% 4.0% 37 3.7% 3 MILWAUKEE 5.3% 5.5% 3 5.3%
69 BUFFALO 3.1% 3.2% 70 2.8% 55 MONROE 3.5% 3.6% 54 3.2%
41 BURNETT 3.8% 3.8% 43 3.7% 11 OCONTO 4.6% 4.7% 11 4.5%
52 CALUMET 3.5% 3.7% 46 3.2% 29 ONEIDA 4.1% 4.1% 32 4.1%
42 CHIPPEWA 3.8% 3.8% 44 3.7% 40 OUTAGAMIE 3.8% 4.0% 36 3.7%
22 CLARK 4.3% 4.1% 34 3.6% 68 OZAUKEE 3.1% 3.3% 66 3.0%
43 COLUMBIA 3.8% 3.8% 45 3.6% 57 PEPIN 3.5% 3.3% 69 3.4%
59 CRAWFORD 3.4% 3.6% 53 3.4% 71 PIERCE 2.9% 3.8% 41 2.9%
72 DANE 2.8% 2.9% 72 2.6% 32 POLK 4.0% 4.1% 30 3.6%
26 DODGE 4.1% 4.2% 24 4.0% 64 PORTAGE 3.3% 3.5% 59 3.3%
66 DOOR 3.2% 3.3% 67 3.4% 25 PRICE 4.2% 4.1% 33 3.9%
45 DOUGLAS 3.7% 4.0% 35 4.0% 9 RACINE 4.7% 5.0% 6 4.9%
61 DUNN 3.4% 3.5% 61 3.0% 23 RICHLAND 4.2% 4.3% 19 3.2%
53 EAU CLAIRE 3.5% 3.7% 47 3.2% 16 ROCK 4.4% 4.4% 18 4.5%
5 FLORENCE 4.9% 5.1% 5 5.8% 7 RUSK 4.8% 5.0% 7 4.0%
36 FOND DU LAC 3.9% 4.0% 39 3.7% 47 SAUK 3.7% 3.6% 57 3.5%
13 FOREST 4.5% 4.9% 8 5.1% 21 SAWYER 4.3% 4.2% 26 4.0%
44 GRANT 3.8% 3.7% 50 3.2% 24 SHAWANO 4.2% 4.3% 20 4.1%
65 GREEN 3.2% 3.4% 63 3.3% 56 SHEBOYGAN 3.5% 3.5% 62 3.4%
28 GREEN LAKE 4.1% 4.1% 31 4.3% 58 ST. CROIX 3.4% 4.2% 21 3.2%
63 IOWA 3.3% 3.5% 58 2.9% 50 TAYLOR 3.6% 3.4% 64 3.1%
2 IRON 5.6% 6.5% 2 6.4% 62 TREMPEALEAU 3.4% 3.2% 71 2.9%
18 JACKSON 4.4% 4.2% 28 4.1% 39 VERNON 3.8% 4.1% 29 3.4%
46 JEFFERSON 3.7% 3.7% 49 3.3% 38 VILAS 3.9% 3.7% 51 3.9%
15 JUNEAU 4.4% 4.5% 14 4.5% 48 WALWORTH 3.6% 3.6% 55 3.3%
14 KENOSHA 4.4% 4.6% 13 4.7% 8 WASHBURN 4.8% 4.7% 12 4.0%
54 KEWAUNEE 3.5% 3.7% 48 3.7% 51 WASHINGTON 3.5% 3.8% 42 3.3%
67 LA CROSSE 3.2% 3.3% 68 3.1% 60 WAUKESHA 3.4% 3.5% 60 3.2%
70 LAFAYETTE 3.0% 3.3% 65 3.1% 30 WAUPACA 4.0% 4.2% 22 4.2%
12 LANGLADE 4.6% 4.5% 15 4.9% 31 WAUSHARA 4.0% 4.2% 23 4.2%
20 LINCOLN 4.3% 4.4% 17 4.2% 37 WINNEBAGO 3.9% 4.0% 40 3.6%
35 MANITOWOC 3.9% 4.0% 38 3.8% 27 WOOD 4.1% 4.2% 25 4.2%
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development – Bureau of Workforce Information
WISCONSIN CITIES
Unemployment Rates
October 2006
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
RANK CITY RATE LAST LAST YR AGO
RATE RANK RATE
5 APPLETON CITY 5.2% 5.2% 7 4.8%
2 BELOIT CITY 6.5% 6.5% 3 6.8%
27 BROOKFIELD CITY 3.1% 3.3% 26 3.3%
19 EAU CLAIRE CITY 3.8% 4.1% 17 3.5%
8 FOND DU LAC CITY 4.9% 5.0% 9 4.6%
26 FRANKLIN CITY 3.2% 3.3% 27 3.2%
4 GREEN BAY CITY 5.7% 5.8% 4 5.7%
20 GREENFIELD CITY 3.7% 3.9% 20 3.7%
12 JANESVILLE CITY 4.5% 4.6% 11 4.8%
7 KENOSHA CITY 5.0% 5.2% 6 5.5%
17 LA CROSSE CITY 4.0% 4.0% 19 3.9%
28 MADISON CITY 2.9% 3.0% 28 2.7%
10 MANITOWOC CITY 4.6% 4.6% 12 4.5%
25 MENOMONEE FALLS VILLAGE 3.2% 3.5% 24 3.0%
3 MILWAUKEE CITY 6.4% 6.7% 2 6.6%
22 NEENAH CITY 3.5% 3.6% 23 3.1%
24 NEW BERLIN CITY 3.4% 3.4% 25 3.2%
23 OAK CREEK CITY 3.4% 3.6% 22 3.4%
15 OSHKOSH CITY 4.2% 4.3% 15 4.1%
1 RACINE CITY 7.3% 7.7% 1 8.0%
13 SHEBOYGAN CITY 4.3% 4.3% 16 4.4%
16 STEVENS POINT CITY 4.1% 4.3% 14 4.3%
18 SUPERIOR CITY 3.9% 4.1% 18 4.0%
14 WAUKESHA CITY 4.2% 4.4% 13 4.0%
9 WAUSAU CITY 4.8% 5.0% 8 4.4%
21 WAUWATOSA CITY 3.5% 3.8% 21 3.4%
11 WEST ALLIS CITY 4.5% 4.8% 10 4.3%
6 WEST BEND CITY 5.0% 5.3% 5 4.5%
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Bureau of Workforce Information
