DWD: August unemployment rates announced

CONTACT: Chris Marschman, Communications Specialist, 608-261-6705

On the web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dwd/newsreleases/2009/unemployment/0809_state_lmi.pdf

Unadjusted Data

MADISON – Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman announced today that Wisconsin’s unemployment rate for August was 8.4 percent, down 0.4 percentage points from July’s 8.8 percent and down 0.8 percentage points from June’s 9.2 percent. The August rate was 3.8 percentage points higher than the rate of 4.6 percent for Wisconsin in August of 2008. The national rate for August was 9.6 percent, down 0.1 percentage point from July’s 9.7 percent, compared to 9.1 percent in May. The national rate for August is 3.5 percentage points higher than the 6.1 percent recorded in August 2008.

“Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has declined for the third month in a row, and we continue to see signs elsewhere of an economic turnaround,” Secretary Gassman said. “At the same time, we know many people are out of work. We are committed to doing all that we can to keep the economy moving forward and help job seekers and displaced workers gain employment.”

From July to August, total Wisconsin non-farm jobs decreased by an estimated 3,300 to 2,772,600. Goods Producers gained 2,700 jobs, while Service Producers lost 6,000 jobs over the month. The decline in Service Producers was driven by local government, which lost 3,100 jobs. Among Goods Producers, Construction jobs decreased 300 over the month, while Manufacturing jobs increased 3,000.

Over the year, August 2009 showed a decline of 112,000 Wisconsin non-farm jobs. Goods Producers were down 63,300, mostly in Manufacturing, which was down 49,800. Service sector jobs declined 48,700 over the year, led by Professional & Business Services, which lost 23,400 jobs.

The August survey of Wisconsin households showed 12,800 fewer employed than in July, and 118,600 fewer employed than one year ago. Wisconsin’s civilian labor force was down 25,000 to 3,103,200 in August, an increase of 400 over August 2008.

Adjusted Data

The seasonally adjusted Wisconsin unemployment rate for August 2009 was 8.8 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from July and June, which both recorded rates of 9.0 percent. The national seasonally adjusted August 2009 rate was 9.7 percent. This compares to 9.4 percent in July 2009, and 9.5 percent in June 2009.

Total state employment was up 1,800 over the month and down 129,100 over the year.