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Wisconsin News Release: State jobless rate drops for second month, to 3.4%

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Tuesday, March 30, 1999
Governor
Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary
Linda Stewart

News Media Contact
DWD News Office
608/267-4400
e-mail: news@dwd.state.wi.us
fax: 608/266-1784

For more information contact:
August Cibarich, 608/266-0522

State jobless rate drops
for second month, to 3.4%

Madison, Wis. --The state’s seasonally-adjusted jobless rate declined by one-tenth of a percentage point to a preliminary 3.4 per cent in mid-February.

It was the lowest state rate since last June’s 3.3 per cent. It also was the second monthly decline in a row (from the 3.6 per cent recorded in December and 3.5 per cent in January).

The year-ago rate was 3.1 per cent. The jobless measurement has been little changed since May, moving within a narrow range of low rates, between 3.2 and 3.6 per cent, for 10 months.

"That and other changes in major labor market measurements over the month for the state were slight," said Orlando Canto, Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

"Wisconsin employers still are creating jobs," Canto added. The number of payroll jobs (nonfarm wage and salary employment) was up 6,800 over the month and almost 39,000 over the year.

Another measurement -- the number of persons who were employed in February -- was essentially unchanged before seasonal adjustment. Because that came at a time Wisconsin normally expects some growth, there was a slight decline seasonally.

The payroll job count and the number of people can move in different directions. Some people hold more than one job and different data collection methods are used for the two measurements, among other reasons.

Manufacturing was the only sector whose job count was down over the month and year, although the changes were slight – under 2,000 in both cases on a base of around 610,000. Durable good manufacturing showed seasonal improvement, however.

Seasonal improvement also was shown by retail and wholesale trade, service, construction, and finance, insurance and real estate.

Construction was down a less-than-normal 1,300 over the month on a base of about 100,000, while up about 6,600 from a year ago.

Seasonally-adjusted jobless rates were down over the month in seven of the state’s 11 major urban areas to the levels shown: Appleton/Oshkosh/Neenah, to 2.6 per cent; Green Bay, to 2.6 per cent; Kenosha, to 3.6 per cent; Milwaukee/Waukesha, to 3.4 per cent; Racine, which recorded a large drop from 5.4 to 4.5 per cent; Sheboygan, to 2.1 per cent, and Wausau, to 3.1 per cent.

Seasonally-adjusted jobless rates were unchanged over the month in Eau Claire at 3.2 per cent and Janesville-Beloit at 3.8 per cent. Seasonally-adjusted jobless rates were up over the month in just La Crosse, to 2.9 per cent, and Madison, to 1.5 per cent.

The jobless-rate range in 11 urban areas was 1.5-4.5% last month.

The rate for a 12^th area, Duluth-Superior, declined over the month from 4.7 to 4.3 per cent and also was down from the year-ago February rate of 4.8 per cent. Only unadjusted data is available for that area from the Minnesota Department of Economic Security and is not comparable to seasonally-adjusted rates in Wisconsin.

Canto also said:

Newly-available data for 1998 shows Wisconsin third among all states in success in attracting its working-age population into the labor force. Wisconsin’s participation rate by those age 16 and up was 74.4 per cent last year, compared to Minnesota’s 75.4 per cent and Colorado’s 74.5 per cent. Alaska was immediately behind Wisconsin, at 74.2 per cent. The U.S. average was 67.1 per cent, with West Virginia at the bottom of the list of states, at 55.1 per cent.

The state now has remained above year-ago jobless rates for five straight months, although the gap has been slight – usually either one or two-tenths of a percentage point.

The state rate has remained below the comparable U.S. rate for the 138^th consecutive month.

The complete text of the Department’s announcement and supporting data, as well as other labor market information, is available to the public on the agency’s Web site at http://www.dwd.state.wi.us. Select "news releases." Historical and other related labor market data is available by selecting "labor market information."

Employment and Labor Force
Household Survey

Unadjusted estimates	February 1999	Prior month	Year ago
Total labor force	2,946,300	2,947,500	2,896,400
Employed	2,823,500	2,824,800	2,781,400
Unemployed	122,800	122,700	115,000
Wis. Unemployment Rate	4.2%	4.2%	4.0%
U.S. Unemployment Rate	4.7%	4.8%	5.0%

Seasonally adjusted	February 1999	Prior month	Year ago
Total labor force	2,984,100	2,997,300	2,934,300
Employed	2,884,100	2,891,300	2,842,100
Unemployed	100,000	105,900	92,100
Wis. Unemployment	3.4%	3.5%	3.1%
U.S. Unemployment	4.4%	4.3%	4.6%

January U.S. rank*	Unemployment % seasonally adjusted	February 1999	Prior month	Year ago
18^th (Feb.)	Wisconsin	3.4	3.5	3.1
66th	Appleton-Oshkosh	2.6	2.7	2.7
159^th (tie)	Eau Claire	3.2	3.2	3.4
66th	Green Bay	2.6	2.7	2.8
159^th (tie)	Janesville-Beloit	3.8	3.8	3.4
135th	Kenosha	3.6	3.8	3.0
108th	La Crosse	2.9	2.8	2.5
3rd	Madison	1.5	1.4	1.5
97th	Milwaukee-Waukesha	3.4	3.6	3.0
159^th (tie)	Racine	4.5	5.4	3.6
25th	Sheboygan	2.1	2.3	2.4
135th	Wausau	3.1	3.2	3.5
* This is the latest available data for the U.S.’s 328 largest metro areas. Urban rankings are NOT seasonally adjusted. Lower is better. Ties are shown only if existing with other Wisconsin urban areas; ties with urban areas in other states are not shown, but are available upon request. Rankings are by the U.S. Labor Department and are based on unadjusted data for the previous month, while the rates shown above for Wisconsin cities are seasonally-adjusted.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Non-Farm Wage & Salary
Employer Survey
In Thousands

	February 1999	January 1999	Year Ago	+/- month	+/– year
NONFARM WAGE & SALARY	2677.7	2670.9	2639.0	6.8	38.7

MANUFACTURING	608.3	610.1	610.2	-1.8	-1.9
DURABLE GOODS .	373.4	373.7	375.2	-0.3	-1.8
Lumber and Wood Products	30.9	31.0	29.6	-0.1	1.3
Furniture and Fixtures	17.3	17.3	17.6	0.0	-0.3
Stone, Clay & Glass Products	9.9	10.0	9.9	-0.1	0.0
Primary Metal Industries	25.3	25.5	25.7	-0.2	-0.4
Fabricated Metal Products	68.2	68.4	67.8	-0.2	0.4
Nonelectrical Machinery	114.4	114.4	115.9	0.0	-1.5
Electrical Machinery	44.9	45.0	47.0	-0.1	-2.1
Transportation Equipment .	33.7	33.6	33.0	0.1	0.7
Prof., Scient. & Control Instr	18.2	17.9	17.8	0.3	0.4
Miscellaneous Manufacturing	10.7	10.7	10.9	0.0	-0.2

NONDURABLE GOODS	234.8	236.4	235.0	-1.6	-0.2
Food and Kindred Products	62.0	62.4	62.5	-0.4	-0.5
Textile Mill Products	2.6	2.7	2.8	-0.1	-0.2
Apparel & Other Finished Products	6.3	6.3	6.0	0.0	0.3
Paper and Allied Products.	52.3	52.4	52.9	-0.1	-0.6
Printing, Publishing & Allied	55.4	55.8	54.5	-0.4	0.9
Chemicals and Allied Products	14.9	14.9	14.2	0.0	0.7
Rubber & Misc. Plastic Products	36.9	37.4	37.0	-0.5	-0.1
Leather & Leather Products	4.1	4.2	4.8	-0.1	-0.7
All Other Nondurable Goods	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0

MINING	2.0	1.9	2.2	0.1	-0.2
CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION	99.3	100.6	92.7	-1.3	6.6
TRANS, COMM, ELEC, GAS	127.1	127.3	122.8	-0.2	4.3
TRADE	593.3	596.2	588.5	-2.9	4.8
WHOLESALE TRADE	136.0	136.2	133.0	-0.2	3.0
RETAIL TRADE	457.3	460.0	455.4	-2.7	1.9
FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL ESTATE	145.4	145.4	141.1	0.0	4.3
SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS	699.9	694.7	683.1	5.2	16.8

GOVERNMENT	402.5	394.6	398.4	7.9	4.1
FEDERAL	30.1	30.1	29.1	0.0	1.0
STATE	99.5	97.0	98.4	2.5	1.1
LOCAL	272.9	267.5	270.9	5.4	2.0

PERSONS INVOLVED IN L-M DISPUTES	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Maps of February 1999 Unemployment Rates by County

Unemployment by County

February 1999
Not seasonally adjusted

RANK	COUNTY	RATE	LAST RATE	LAST RANK	YR AGO RATE	RANK	COUNTY	RATE	LAST RATE	LAST RANK	YR AGO RATE

34	ADAMS	5.8%	6.0%	31	6.2%	50	MARATHON	4.5%	4.1%	56	5.1%
2	ASHLAND	10.6%	9.6%	4	7.4%	25	MARINETTE	6.8%	6.4%	26	6.9%
27	BARRON	6.5%	5.8%	34	6.0%	8	MARQUETTE	9.0%	9.3%	6	9.0%
6	BAYFIELD	9.4%	9.1%	7	8.1%	12	MENOMINEE	8.2%	7.5%	17	7.6%
67	BROWN	3.1%	3.1%	67	3.3%	55	MILWAUKEE	4.2%	4.1%	55	3.6%
52	BUFFALO	4.3%	4.4%	50	4.4%	31	MONROE	6.0%	5.5%	40	5.3%

13	BURNETT	8.0%	7.9%	12	6.5%	19	OCONTO	7.2%	6.9%	21	7.1%
65	CALUMET	3.2%	3.2%	66	3.3%	23	ONEIDA	6.8%	6.7%	22	6.6%
32	CHIPPEWA	5.9%	6.1%	28	5.9%	62	OUTAGAMIE	3.6%	3.4%	64	3.7%
11	CLARK	8.3%	7.8%	13	9.0%	71	OZAUKEE	2.3%	2.3%	71	2.1%
33	COLUMBIA	5.9%	6.1%	29	6.5%	21	PEPIN	7.0%	7.1%	18	7.3%
36	CRAWFORD	5.6%	5.6%	38	5.1%	60	PIERCE	3.6%	4.1%	53	3.7%

72	DANE	1.8%	1.8%	72	1.9%	35	POLK	5.7%	5.6%	39	5.9%
57	DODGE	3.8%	3.7%	59	3.5%	46	PORTAGE	5.0%	5.1%	43	5.2%
9	DOOR	8.4%	8.6%	9	8.3%	1	PRICE	10.9%	9.7%	3	6.2%
30	DOUGLAS	6.0%	5.9%	33	5.9%	42	RACINE	5.2%	5.9%	32	4.2%
45	DUNN	5.1%	4.8%	48	4.5%	37	RICHLAND	5.5%	5.7%	36	6.1%
64	EAU CLAIRE	3.4%	3.3%	65	3.7%	53	ROCK	4.3%	4.3%	52	3.8%

3	FLORENCE	10.6%	9.5%	5	8.0%	17	RUSK	7.7%	7.6%	15	9.7%
54	FOND DU LAC	4.2%	4.3%	51	3.8%	47	SAUK	5.0%	5.0%	47	5.3%
14	FOREST	7.9%	8.4%	10	10.3%	7	SAWYER	9.1%	8.8%	8	9.2%
41	GRANT	5.2%	6.0%	30	5.8%	40	SHAWANO	5.3%	5.1%	45	5.4%
48	GREEN	4.6%	4.1%	57	4.4%	70	SHEBOYGAN	2.5%	2.5%	70	2.8%
24	GREEN LAKE	6.8%	6.6%	23	6.6%	59	ST. CROIX	3.7%	3.6%	60	3.8%

39	IOWA	5.3%	5.1%	44	5.6%	18	TAYLOR	7.6%	7.0%	19	8.7%
10	IRON	8.4%	8.3%	11	8.3%	28	TREMPEALEAU	6.4%	6.5%	24	6.4%
26	JACKSON	6.6%	6.4%	25	6.1%	29	VERNON	6.2%	5.7%	37	5.6%
61	JEFFERSON	3.6%	3.7%	58	3.4%	15	VILAS	7.8%	7.6%	16	7.4%
4	JUNEAU	10.2%	10.2%	1	9.2%	63	WALWORTH	3.5%	3.5%	63	3.2%
56	KENOSHA	3.8%	4.1%	54	3.1%	5	WASHBURN	9.8%	10.0%	2	8.4%

51	KEWAUNEE	4.3%	5.0%	46	4.6%	66	WASHINGTON	3.1%	3.5%	62	3.0%
58	LA CROSSE	3.8%	3.6%	61	3.3%	69	WAUKESHA	2.6%	2.7%	69	2.4%
43	LAFAYETTE	5.2%	5.3%	42	5.2%	49	WAUPACA	4.5%	4.7%	49	4.1%
16	LANGLADE	7.7%	7.6%	14	7.1%	22	WAUSHARA	6.9%	6.9%	20	6.4%
20	LINCOLN	7.2%	6.4%	27	6.4%	68	WINNEBAGO	2.9%	2.8%	68	3.1%
44	MANITOWOC	5.1%	5.7%	35	4.3%	38	WOOD	5.3%	5.4%	41	6.2%

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development