MADISON – Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today released the March local unemployment rates that show declines following the usual seasonal patterns as the weather warms and more jobs become available.
“Wisconsin’s labor market saw steady improvement last month as unemployment rates for most counties and nearly all of the major metropolitan areas declined from the February rates,” Secretary Gassman said.
METRO AREAS
Unemployment rates in nine of the state’s twelve Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) decreased in March compared to February, while two saw increases and one experienced no change. The Madison MSA had the lowest rate in March at 4.2 percent, followed by La Crosse at 4.7 percent. The Racine MSA unemployment rate declined three-tenths of a percentage point, but remained the highest at 6.6 percent. When the latest rates are compared to those of March 2007, two metro areas had lower rates this year, seven recorded higher rates, and three saw no change in their rates.
Preliminary nonfarm wage and salary jobs increased from February to March in all 11 metro areas. When March’s preliminary job numbers are compared to the March 2007 totals, the results show three metro areas increasing jobs, seven decreasing and one unchanged. (As of February 2008, wage and salary industry employment estimates are only reported for 11 of Wisconsin’s 12 metro areas – figures for the Fond du Lac MSA will no longer be reported due to Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics policy changes.)
COUNTIES
Rates in 53 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties decreased in March, remained the same in 11, and increased in eight. The largest decrease was in Marquette County, down 0.7 percentage points to 7.1%. The largest rate increase was the 0.2 percentage point rise in Ashland County.
On an annual basis, 24 counties recorded decreases, 40 had increases, and 8 had no change over the year. The greatest decrease occurred in St. Croix, down 0.9 percentage points, followed by Marquette and Green, which both dropped 0.8 percentage points. The greatest increase occurred in Taylor County, which rose 1.7 percentage points.
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Employment and Labor Force
Place of Residence Data
Unadjusted labor force estimates
Current Month Ago Year Ago
Total labor force 3,085,700 3,078,200 3,075,900
Employed 2,911,600 2,900,000 2,905,000
Unemployed 174,100 178,300 170,900
Wis. Unemployment Rate 5.6% 5.8% 5.6%
U.S. Unemployment Rate 5.2% 5.2% 4.5%
Adjusted labor force estimates
Current Month Ago Year Ago
Total labor force 3,106,000 3,100,500 3,089,300
Employed 2,955,700 2,948,300 2,935,800
Unemployed 150,300 152,200 153,600
Wis. Unemployment Rate 4.8% 4.9% 5.0%
U.S. Unemployment Rate 5.1% 4.8% 4.4%
Unadjusted Unemployment Rate, by WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
MSA Current Month Ago Year Ago
Wisconsin 5.6 5.8 5.6
Appleton 5.5 5.7 5.3
Eau Claire 5.5 5.5 5.5
Fond du Lac 5.5 5.8 5.6
Green Bay 5.6 5.7 5.5
Janesville 6.2 6.5 6.4
La Crosse 4.7 4.8 4.6
Madison 4.2 4.1 4.1
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis 5.4 5.5 5.2
Oshkosh-Neenah 5.1 5.3 5.1
Racine 6.6 6.9 6.6
Sheboygan 4.9 5.0 4.7
Wausau 5.5 5.4 5.1
Place of Work Data
Nonfarm wage and salary estimates, by WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), in thousands
MSA Current Month Ago Year Ago
Wisconsin 2825.1 2812.2 2830.0
Appleton 116.6 116.4 116.8
Eau Claire 82.7 82.2 81.9
Green Bay 166.8 166.3 166.6
Janesville 68.7 68.4 69.0
La Crosse 73.8 73.4 73.8
Madison 344.2 343.0 342.3
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis 844.7 841.5 846.0
Oshkosh-Neenah 92.3 91.9 92.4
Racine 78.7 78.1 79.2
Sheboygan 63.0 62.7 63.2
Wausau 71.8 71.5 72.2
Source *LAUS/CES and DWD Bureau of Workforce Training – Labor Market Information, and DWD Office of Economic Advisors
**As of February 2008, Fond du Lac MSA wage and salary estimates no longer reported due to Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics policy changes.
WISCONSIN COUNTIES
Unemployment Rates
March 2008
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
RANK COUNTY RATE LAST RATE LASTRANK YR AGO RATE RANK COUNTY RATE LAST RATE LAST RANK YR AGO RATE
12 ADAMS 8.1% 8.6% 10 8.4% 57 MARATHON 5.5% 5.4% 61 5.1%
20 ASHLAND 7.2% 7.0% 28 6.6% 25 MARINETTE 6.8% 7.0% 26 7.5%
18 BARRON 7.3% 7.7% 18 7.4% 21 MARQUETTE 7.1% 7.8% 16 7.9%
4 BAYFIELD 9.4% 9.5% 5 8.6% 1 MENOMINEE 10.2% 10.1% 1 8.8%
60 BROWN 5.3% 5.4% 60 5.2% 39 MILWAUKEE 6.1% 6.1% 43 5.9%
67 BUFFALO 4.8% 4.8% 67 4.8% 61 MONROE 5.2% 5.5% 58 4.9%
5 BURNETT 9.2% 9.7% 3 8.2% 17 OCONTO 7.4% 7.6% 19 7.5%
65 CALUMET 4.9% 5.1% 65 5.0% 13 ONEIDA 8.1% 8.4% 12 8.0%
30 CHIPPEWA 6.6% 6.8% 32 6.9% 48 OUTAGAMIE 5.7% 5.9% 49 5.4%
24 CLARK 6.8% 7.2% 23 7.3% 71 OZAUKEE 4.2% 4.2% 71 4.0%
41 COLUMBIA 6.0% 6.2% 40 5.8% 38 PEPIN 6.1% 6.4% 37 6.5%
27 CRAWFORD 6.6% 7.0% 24 6.0% 56 PIERCE 5.5% 5.5% 59 5.7%
72 DANE 3.9% 3.8% 72 3.8% 15 POLK 7.5% 7.9% 15 7.6%
45 DODGE 5.8% 6.0% 44 5.8% 51 PORTAGE 5.6% 5.9% 47 5.4%
9 DOOR 8.3% 8.5% 11 7.8% 46 PRICE 5.8% 5.8% 53 5.7%
36 DOUGLAS 6.2% 6.3% 38 5.9% 29 RACINE 6.6% 6.9% 31 6.6%
50 DUNN 5.7% 5.6% 57 6.0% 40 RICHLAND 6.1% 6.0% 46 6.0%
68 EAU CLAIRE 4.8% 4.7% 68 4.7% 35 ROCK 6.2% 6.5% 34 6.4%
26 FLORENCE 6.7% 7.3% 21 6.7% 3 RUSK 9.5% 9.6% 4 9.5%
55 FOND DU LAC 5.5% 5.8% 51 5.6% 44 SAUK 5.8% 6.1% 41 5.7%
10 FOREST 8.3% 8.3% 13 8.4% 6 SAWYER 9.2% 9.2% 6 8.6%
43 GRANT 5.9% 6.0% 45 6.1% 34 SHAWANO 6.3% 6.3% 39 6.2%
59 GREEN 5.3% 5.6% 56 6.1% 66 SHEBOYGAN 4.9% 5.0% 66 4.7%
16 GREEN LAKE 7.4% 7.8% 17 7.7% 49 ST. CROIX 5.7% 5.8% 52 6.6%
32 IOWA 6.5% 6.5% 35 6.0% 7 TAYLOR 9.2% 9.2% 7 7.5%
2 IRON 10.0% 10.0% 2 10.3% 58 TREMPEALEAU 5.3% 5.7% 54 5.2%
14 JACKSON 7.7% 8.0% 14 7.2% 37 VERNON 6.1% 6.5% 33 6.0%
53 JEFFERSON 5.6% 5.7% 55 5.6% 8 VILAS 8.9% 8.8% 8 8.5%
22 JUNEAU 6.9% 7.3% 22 6.7% 52 WALWORTH 5.6% 5.9% 48 5.4%
47 KENOSHA 5.7% 6.4% 36 5.5% 11 WASHBURN 8.1% 8.7% 9 8.1%
54 KEWAUNEE 5.5% 5.8% 50 5.4% 63 WASHINGTON 5.1% 5.2% 64 4.7%
69 LA CROSSE 4.5% 4.6% 69 4.3% 70 WAUKESHA 4.5% 4.6% 70 4.3%
64 LAFAYETTE 5.0% 5.3% 62 5.2% 31 WAUPACA 6.5% 6.9% 30 6.4%
19 LANGLADE 7.2% 7.4% 20 7.4% 33 WAUSHARA 6.4% 6.9% 29 6.5%
23 LINCOLN 6.9% 7.0% 27 6.6% 62 WINNEBAGO 5.1% 5.3% 63 5.1%
42 MANITOWOC 5.9% 6.1% 42 6.3% 28 WOOD 6.6% 7.0% 25 6.5%
Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Bureau of Workforce Training – Labor Market Information Section
WISCONSIN CITIES
Unemployment Rates
March 2008
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
RANK CITY RATE LAST LAST YR AGO
RATE RANK RATE
6 APPLETON CITY 6.8% 7.5% 5 6.6%
2 BELOIT CITY 9.1% 9.2% 2 8.8%
29 BROOKFIELD CITY 3.8% 3.7% 29 3.7%
31 CALEDONIA VILLAGE 2.6% 2.5% 31 2.4%
19 EAU CLAIRE CITY 5.3% 5.2% 19 5.1%
11 FOND DU LAC CITY 6.3% 6.7% 10 6.6%
25 FRANKLIN CITY 4.5% 4.5% 26 4.0%
3 GREEN BAY CITY 7.9% 8.3% 3 7.9%
21 GREENFIELD CITY 5.0% 5.0% 21 4.7%
10 JANESVILLE CITY 6.3% 6.8% 9 6.5%
13 KENOSHA CITY 6.1% 6.8% 8 6.2%
22 LA CROSSE CITY 5.0% 5.0% 22 5.0%
30 MADISON CITY 3.6% 3.5% 30 3.5%
8 MANITOWOC CITY 6.7% 6.7% 11 7.1%
26 MENOMONEE FALLS VILLAGE 4.4% 4.5% 25 4.2%
5 MILWAUKEE CITY 7.3% 7.4% 6 7.1%
12 MOUNT PLEASANT VILLAGE 6.2% 6.4% 13 5.7%
20 NEENAH CITY 5.1% 5.1% 20 5.3%
27 NEW BERLIN CITY 4.1% 4.3% 27 3.9%
23 OAK CREEK CITY 4.8% 4.9% 23 4.0%
17 OSHKOSH CITY 5.6% 5.8% 16 5.6%
1 RACINE CITY 9.8% 10.3% 1 10.2%
14 SHEBOYGAN CITY 6.0% 6.2% 14 5.8%
7 STEVENS POINT CITY 6.8% 7.2% 7 6.4%
24 SUN PRAIRIE CITY 4.8% 4.7% 24 4.9%
15 SUPERIOR CITY 5.9% 5.8% 17 5.6%
16 WAUKESHA CITY 5.7% 6.0% 15 5.5%
9 WAUSAU CITY 6.6% 6.5% 12 6.1%
28 WAUWATOSA CITY 4.1% 4.1% 28 3.9%
18 WEST ALLIS CITY 5.6% 5.7% 18 5.3%
4 WEST BEND CITY 7.4% 7.6% 4 6.8%
