MONROE - New employees hired at Monroe's new Walmart Supercenter may have had an impact on the slight decrease in Green County's unemployment rate in August after the store opened Sept. 2.
According to the store's manager, Ron Fager, about 140 people have been added to the store's previous staff of about 170. Seventeen people were added in the past week.
The number of unemployed people in Green County dropped by 145 to 1,768, the lowest number seen this year.
Fager estimated about 40 percent of the new employees were displaced workers.
"A lot of them, from what I heard, wanted to get out of the house or wanted a second income with the winter heating bills coming," he said.
About one-third of Walmartshe number of people working part-time for economic reasons didn't change much at 9.2 million. The number of those workers rose sharply throughout most of the fall and winter but has been stable since March.
According to statistics released Sept. 23 by the state Department of Workforce Development, Green County's unemployment rate dropped 0.6 percent to 8.6 percent in August.
Unemployment rates fluctuate when people come into or leave the labor force.
The August labor force at 20,631 was the lowest seen this year, down by about 160. The county saw a high of 21,227 in June.
Lafayette County saw its unemployment rate down by 0.7 percentage points, from 7.5 to 6.8 percent.
About 25 people left its labor force in August, but the number of employed people rose about 40.
The national civilian labor force participation rate declined by 0.3 percent in September.
Seasonally adjusted, Wisconsin's unemployment rate was 8.8 percent, while nationally the rate was 9.7 percent, according to U.S. Department of Labor Statistics.
Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development found August non-farm jobs deceased by an estimated 3,300. Goods producers gained 2,700 jobs, while service producers lost 6,000 jobs.
Among goods producers last month, construction jobs decreased by 300 jobs and manufacturers increased 3,000 jobs, around the state.
Of service producers, local government lost 3,100 jobs, federal government lost 600 jobs, while the state added 300 jobs. Health care and social assistance gained 1,700 jobs, but wholesale and retail trade lost 1,600 jobs.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Oct. 2, since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons in the U.S. has increased by 7.6 million to 15.1 million, and the unemployment rate has doubled to 9.8 percent.
Teenagers, as a major worker group, have been hit the hardest, with 25.9 percent unemployment, followed by blacks at 15.4 percent and Hispanics at 12.7 percent.
According to the store's manager, Ron Fager, about 140 people have been added to the store's previous staff of about 170. Seventeen people were added in the past week.
The number of unemployed people in Green County dropped by 145 to 1,768, the lowest number seen this year.
Fager estimated about 40 percent of the new employees were displaced workers.
"A lot of them, from what I heard, wanted to get out of the house or wanted a second income with the winter heating bills coming," he said.
About one-third of Walmartshe number of people working part-time for economic reasons didn't change much at 9.2 million. The number of those workers rose sharply throughout most of the fall and winter but has been stable since March.
According to statistics released Sept. 23 by the state Department of Workforce Development, Green County's unemployment rate dropped 0.6 percent to 8.6 percent in August.
Unemployment rates fluctuate when people come into or leave the labor force.
The August labor force at 20,631 was the lowest seen this year, down by about 160. The county saw a high of 21,227 in June.
Lafayette County saw its unemployment rate down by 0.7 percentage points, from 7.5 to 6.8 percent.
About 25 people left its labor force in August, but the number of employed people rose about 40.
The national civilian labor force participation rate declined by 0.3 percent in September.
Seasonally adjusted, Wisconsin's unemployment rate was 8.8 percent, while nationally the rate was 9.7 percent, according to U.S. Department of Labor Statistics.
Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development found August non-farm jobs deceased by an estimated 3,300. Goods producers gained 2,700 jobs, while service producers lost 6,000 jobs.
Among goods producers last month, construction jobs decreased by 300 jobs and manufacturers increased 3,000 jobs, around the state.
Of service producers, local government lost 3,100 jobs, federal government lost 600 jobs, while the state added 300 jobs. Health care and social assistance gained 1,700 jobs, but wholesale and retail trade lost 1,600 jobs.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Oct. 2, since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons in the U.S. has increased by 7.6 million to 15.1 million, and the unemployment rate has doubled to 9.8 percent.
Teenagers, as a major worker group, have been hit the hardest, with 25.9 percent unemployment, followed by blacks at 15.4 percent and Hispanics at 12.7 percent.