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Area jobless rates down in August
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MONROE - Green County and Lafayette County unemployment rates for August 2012 dropped closely in sync with both the state and nation unemployment rates, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary estimates of unemployment and employment statistics in August, released Wednesday by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD).

Green County unemployment rate stood at 6.3 percent last month, down 0.6 percentage point from 6.9 percent in July and 0.3 percentage point from 6.6 percent a year ago.

Lafayette County unemployment rate dropped to 5.6 percent, down 0.3 percentage point since July 2012 and August 2011, both of which had 5.9 percent unemployment.

County rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Without seasonal adjustment, Wisconsin's August rate was 7.1 percent, down 0.3 percentage point from 7.4 percent in July and down 0.2 percentage point from 7.3 percent in August 2011.

Without seasonal adjustment, the U.S. rate was 8.2 percent, down 0.4 percentage point from 8.6 percent in July and down 0.9 percentage point from 9.1 percent in August 2011.

Dane county dropped 0.3 point from July to August to end at 5.0 percent. Iowa came down 0.4 point to 5.2 percent in August, the same as a year ago. Rock County continued to drop last month, losing 0.3 point, for an 8.6 percent rate, and a significant drop from last year when unemployment was 9.2 percent.

Of the counties with the lowest unemployment rates in the county, Dane is ranked first for lowest, Iowa as fourth and Lafayette is in ninth place. Green County is 14th.

Of Wisconsin's 72 counties, 62 had either rate declines or no change year over year. Between July and August, 69 had rate declines. Rates increased in Florence (0.7 point), Grant (0.1 point) and Menominee (1.8 points). Rates ranged from 5.0 percent in Dane to 21.9 percent in Menominee.

Preliminary unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) declined in 10 metro areas and remained unchanged in Eau Claire and Madison year over year. Rates declined in all metro areas between July and August. The August 2012 rates ranged from 5.2 percent in metro Madison to 8.8 percent in metro Racine. Madison and Janesville Metro rates followed their county rate drops, with 0.2 and 0.3 points lower for the month, to settle in at 5.2 and 8.6 percent unemployment.

From July to August, all municipalities had declines in rates. The city of Madison dropped 0.2 point for a 5.2 percent rate in August, the same as last year. Janesville also dropped 0.2 point, coming in at 9.2 percent, 0.6 point lower than a year ago. Of 32 municipalities with at least 25,000 residents, 24 had either declines or no change in unemployment rates year over year. Rates ranged from 3.8 percent in Caledonia to 12.1 percent in Racine.

The BLS preliminary unemployment estimates for cities, counties and metro areas are based on Unemployment Insurance claims and a monthly survey of 1,450 Wisconsin households (0.06 percent), called the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS).

-Tere Dunlap