Dept. of Workforce Development: Announces February local jobs, unemployment rates

CONTACT: John Dipko, Communications Director, 608-266-6753

 

Labor Force Summary by MSA I Labor Force Summary by County


 

FEBRUARY LOCAL JOBS, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES ANNOUNCED

Unemployment rates drop from January in 22 Wisconsin counties, 12 cities, 4 MSAs

 

MADISON – Unemployment rates dropped in 22 Wisconsin counties, 12 cities, and four metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) during February 2010, Department of Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman announced today.  The local unemployment rates show further signs that the state economy is continuing to improve. 

 

“These two months of data show that Wisconsin’s economy is stabilizing and we are moving toward recovery,” Secretary Gassman said. “We remain optimistic that Wisconsin’s economy will continue to show improvement, opening up greater employment opportunities for many hardworking families who have been out of work through no fault of their own.”

 

COUNTIES

Twenty two Wisconsin counties showed unemployment rate decreases (not seasonally adjusted) from January, and nine more had rates that were unchanged. Seven counties – Dunn, Grant, Monroe, Oconto, Rock, Rusk and Sawyer – posted lower rates in February 2010 than they did one year earlier. Dane County had the lowest unemployment rate in February 2010 at 6.2 percent.

 

METRO AREAS

The MSA rates in February dropped in Janesville, La Crosse, Madison and Sheboygan and remained unchanged for Appleton, Green Bay and Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis – unlike in January, when all MSAs in Wisconsin posted unemployment rate increases.  The Madison MSA had the lowest unemployment rate at 6.7 percent, followed by La Crosse at 7.8 percent.

 

LABOR FORCE DATA (SEASONALLY ADJUSTED)

 

Also released today were labor force statistics for MSAs, both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted.

 

On a seasonally adjusted basis, nine MSAs posted job growth, and job numbers for another two MSAs showed no change from January 2010. The MSA that posted the most increase in jobs was Madison, followed by Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis.

 

When not adjusted for seasonal factors, Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis posted the greatest job growth, at 1,700.