METRO AREAS
MADISON – Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today released the January local unemployment rates, all following the normal pattern of increases during the mid-winter months.
“As is typical for our January labor market, unemployment rates edged upward for most of the state,” Secretary Gassman said. “Like December, several factors that influenced the state’s labor market figures for January were the severe weather, schools on winter break, and the usual dip in seasonal retail employment.”
The unemployment rate in each Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) increased from December to January, averaging 0.8 percent for all 12 metro areas. The Madison MSA had the lowest rate in January at 3.9 percent, followed by La Crosse at 4.7 percent. The Racine MSA recorded the highest rate at 6.6 percent. When the latest rates are compared to those of January 2007, four metro areas had lower rates this year, six recorded higher rates, and two saw no change in their rates.
Preliminary nonfarm wage and salary jobs decreased from December to January in all 12 metro areas. When January’s preliminary employment figures are compared to the January 2007 totals, the results are mixed. The preliminary figures show an increase in five metro areas and a decrease in seven.
COUNTIES
Wisconsin’s 72 counties saw increases in unemployment rates ranging from .5 percentage points in Dane and Waukesha counties to 2.2 percentage points in Menominee County in January.
On an annual basis, 40 counties recorded decreases, 25 had increases, and 7 had no change over the year. The greatest decrease occurred in Florence County, which dropped 1.5 percentage points to 6.5%. The greatest increase occurred in Menominee County, which rose 3.0 percentage points over the year to 11.7 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 3,057,100 3,080,500 3,072,300
Employed 2,889,900 2,938,500 2,904,300
Unemployed 167,200 142,100 168,000
Wis. Unemployment Rate 5.5% 4.6% 5.5%
U.S. Unemployment Rate 5.4% 4.8% 5.0%
Adjusted labor force estimates
Current Month Ago Year Ago
Total labor force 3,084,000 3,090,500 3,085,700
Employed 2,933,200 2,940,700 2,934,600
Unemployed 150,900 149,800 151,100
Wis. Unemployment Rate 4.9% 4.9% 4.9%
U.S. Unemployment Rate 4.9% 5.0% 4.6%
Unadjusted Unemployment Rate, by WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
MSA Current Month Ago Year Ago
Wisconsin 5.5 4.6 5.5
Appleton 5.2 4.4 5.2
Eau Claire 5.5 4.4 5.4
Fond du Lac 5.4 4.4 5.5
Green Bay 5.4 4.6 5.3
Janesville 6.0 5.1 6.7
La Crosse 4.7 3.9 4.9
Madison 3.9 3.4 3.9
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis 5.3 4.7 5.1
Oshkosh-Neenah 4.8 4.0 4.9
Racine 6.6 5.7 6.1
Sheboygan 4.8 4.1 4.4
Wausau 5.0 3.9 4.9
Place of Work Data
Nonfarm wage and salary estimates, by WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), in thousands
MSA Current Month Ago Year Ago
Wisconsin 2814.9 2896 2814.4
Appleton 116.9 119.4 116.7
Eau Claire 82.0 84.4 81.2
Fond du Lac 46.5 48.6 47.3
Green Bay 166.2 171.0 166.4
Janesville 68.5 70.5 68.9
La Crosse 73.3 75.7 73.1
Madison 342.6 351.8 340.5
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis 841.5 861.2 843.3
Oshkosh-Neenah 92.0 93.9 91.5
Racine 78.6 80.4 79.7
Sheboygan 62.9 64.2 63.6
Wausau 71.4 73.8 72.4
Source *Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Office of Economic Advisors
WISCONSIN COUNTIES
Unemployment Rates
January 2008
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
RANK COUNTY RATE LAST RATE LASTRANK YR AGO RATE RANK COUNTY RATE LAST RATE LAST RANK YR AGO RATE
6 ADAMS 8.4% 6.8% 9 8.9% 63 MARATHON 5.0% 3.9% 63 4.9%
31 ASHLAND 6.4% 5.2% 30 7.1% 19 MARINETTE 7.0% 6.1% 15 7.8%
14 BARRON 7.6% 6.1% 17 7.9% 17 MARQUETTE 7.4% 6.2% 14 7.9%
4 BAYFIELD 8.8% 7.3% 4 8.9% 1 MENOMINEE 11.7% 9.5% 1 8.7%
60 BROWN 5.1% 4.3% 58 5.0% 35 MILWAUKEE 6.0% 5.4% 25 5.8%
68 BUFFALO 4.7% 3.6% 69 4.7% 53 MONROE 5.3% 4.4% 49 5.3%
3 BURNETT 8.9% 7.2% 5 8.1% 18 OCONTO 7.3% 6.3% 13 7.2%
62 CALUMET 5.0% 4.3% 57 5.2% 12 ONEIDA 7.7% 6.5% 11 7.9%
25 CHIPPEWA 6.7% 5.3% 27 6.8% 56 OUTAGAMIE 5.3% 4.4% 52 5.1%
23 CLARK 6.8% 5.3% 28 7.6% 71 OZAUKEE 3.9% 3.3% 71 3.7%
37 COLUMBIA 5.9% 5.0% 34 5.7% 32 PEPIN 6.3% 4.8% 40 7.2%
24 CRAWFORD 6.8% 4.8% 41 6.4% 54 PIERCE 5.3% 4.4% 50 5.4%
72 DANE 3.6% 3.1% 72 3.6% 15 POLK 7.6% 6.0% 19 8.5%
43 DODGE 5.7% 4.9% 36 5.7% 59 PORTAGE 5.2% 3.9% 64 5.5%
8 DOOR 8.2% 6.6% 10 7.8% 49 PRICE 5.4% 4.5% 45 5.8%
38 DOUGLAS 5.9% 5.0% 35 6.0% 26 RACINE 6.6% 5.7% 22 6.1%
58 DUNN 5.2% 4.4% 48 5.8% 51 RICHLAND 5.4% 4.4% 53 5.7%
67 EAU CLAIRE 4.7% 3.8% 67 4.6% 36 ROCK 6.0% 5.1% 32 6.7%
28 FLORENCE 6.5% 5.9% 21 8.0% 7 RUSK 8.4% 6.4% 12 9.5%
52 FOND DU LAC 5.4% 4.4% 54 5.5% 44 SAUK 5.7% 4.7% 42 5.8%
9 FOREST 8.0% 7.0% 7 8.0% 5 SAWYER 8.4% 7.3% 3 9.0%
40 GRANT 5.9% 4.5% 47 5.7% 45 SHAWANO 5.7% 4.6% 44 6.0%
57 GREEN 5.3% 3.9% 65 5.3% 64 SHEBOYGAN 4.8% 4.1% 60 4.4%
22 GREEN LAKE 7.0% 5.5% 24 7.1% 55 ST. CROIX 5.3% 4.4% 51 6.3%
41 IOWA 5.9% 4.2% 59 5.6% 21 TAYLOR 7.0% 5.6% 23 7.7%
2 IRON 9.2% 8.4% 2 10.1% 48 TREMPEALEAU 5.5% 4.4% 55 5.6%
13 JACKSON 7.7% 6.0% 20 7.5% 34 VERNON 6.1% 4.8% 39 6.3%
50 JEFFERSON 5.4% 4.5% 46 5.3% 10 VILAS 7.8% 7.0% 6 8.2%
20 JUNEAU 7.0% 6.0% 18 7.0% 46 WALWORTH 5.6% 4.6% 43 5.3%
39 KENOSHA 5.9% 4.9% 37 5.8% 11 WASHBURN 7.8% 6.9% 8 8.6%
47 KEWAUNEE 5.6% 4.4% 56 5.1% 65 WASHINGTON 4.8% 4.1% 61 4.4%
69 LA CROSSE 4.4% 3.8% 66 4.6% 70 WAUKESHA 4.2% 3.7% 68 4.1%
61 LAFAYETTE 5.1% 3.6% 70 5.2% 33 WAUPACA 6.2% 5.2% 29 7.2%
16 LANGLADE 7.5% 6.1% 16 7.4% 29 WAUSHARA 6.5% 5.2% 31 7.1%
30 LINCOLN 6.4% 5.3% 26 6.6% 66 WINNEBAGO 4.8% 4.0% 62 4.9%
42 MANITOWOC 5.8% 5.0% 33 6.1% 27 WOOD 6.6% 4.9% 38 6.3%
Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development – Bureau of Workforce Information
WISCONSIN CITIES
Unemployment Rates
January 2008
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
RANK CITY RATE LAST LAST YR AGO
RATE RANK RATE
8 APPLETON CITY 6.4% 5.2% 11 6.5%
2 BELOIT CITY 8.2% 7.2% 2 8.4%
29 BROOKFIELD CITY 3.5% 3.0% 30 3.4%
19 EAU CLAIRE CITY 5.1% 4.0% 24 5.0%
12 FOND DU LAC CITY 6.0% 4.9% 15 6.6%
25 FRANKLIN CITY 4.3% 3.7% 26 3.6%
3 GREEN BAY CITY 7.8% 6.5% 4 7.6%
21 GREENFIELD CITY 4.9% 4.3% 20 4.5%
10 JANESVILLE CITY 6.2% 5.3% 9 7.7%
7 KENOSHA CITY 6.4% 5.4% 8 6.4%
20 LA CROSSE CITY 5.0% 4.4% 19 5.4%
30 MADISON CITY 3.4% 3.1% 29 3.4%
6 MANITOWOC CITY 6.4% 5.4% 7 7.1%
26 MENOMONEE FALLS VILLAGE 4.0% 3.7% 25 3.8%
4 MILWAUKEE CITY 7.3% 6.6% 3 7.1%
11 MOUNT PLEASANT VILLAGE 6.1% 5.4% 6 5.5%
23 NEENAH CITY 4.6% 4.0% 21 5.0%
27 NEW BERLIN CITY 3.9% 3.5% 27 3.9%
24 OAK CREEK CITY 4.6% 4.0% 22 3.9%
17 OSHKOSH CITY 5.4% 4.6% 17 5.4%
1 RACINE CITY 9.9% 8.9% 1 9.3%
13 SHEBOYGAN CITY 5.9% 5.2% 10 5.4%
9 STEVENS POINT CITY 6.3% 4.6% 18 6.2%
22 SUN PRAIRIE CITY 4.7% 4.0% 23 4.7%
18 SUPERIOR CITY 5.3% 4.6% 16 5.5%
16 WAUKESHA CITY 5.6% 4.9% 14 5.3%
14 WAUSAU CITY 5.9% 5.1% 12 5.9%
28 WAUWATOSA CITY 3.7% 3.4% 28 3.7%
15 WEST ALLIS CITY 5.6% 4.9% 13 5.1%
5 WEST BEND CITY 6.8% 5.8% 5 6.4%
