Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce: Statement on 2.9 percent unemployment rate

CONTACT: Nick Novak, 608.258.3400

MADISON – Gov. Scott Walker and the Department of Workforce Development announced on Thursday that Wisconsin’s unemployment rate dropped in February to a historic low of 2.9 percent. DWD also announced the number of people employed and considered active in Wisconsin’s workforce reach all-time highs.

WMC President & CEO Kurt R. Bauer released the following statement after the record-low unemployment rate was announced:

“There is no doubt that Wisconsin continues to move forward thanks to the leadership of Gov. Walker and a Republican legislature. Our state has never seen unemployment levels this low, and it is because government has gotten out of the way and made it possible for the business community to retain and create new jobs.

“Looking to where Wisconsin was less than a decade ago shows the true difference between public policies that aim to hamper employers and ones that empower employers to drive our economy forward. Our state’s unemployment rate of 2.9 percent is a full 1.2 points lower than the national average, meaning other states should be looking to Wisconsin as an example of how to revitalize an economy.

“Wisconsin keeps moving forward. Now is not the time to change course.”