MADISON - Wisconsin officials say unemployment across the state has reached nearly 9 percent. It's slightly higher in Green County.
The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) on Wednesday released February jobless numbers for the state, counties and some cities. Unemployment statewide was 8.8 percent, up 1.1 percentage points from January's rate of 7.7 percent.
Green County's unemployment rate stands at 9.1 percent, up 1 percentage point from last month (8.1), and up almost 4 percentage points from a year ago (5.2).
Lafayette County rose slightly less to 7.9 percent, up 0.6 percentage points from last month. A year ago, Lafayette's unemployment rate was 4.9 percent.
The DWD says state unemployment in February was 8.8 percent. That's up 1.1 percent from January.
It's also nearly 4 percentage points higher than the rate for the same period last year.
The numbers mean Wisconsin's unemployment has caught up to national numbers. State and federal rates for February are about the same now, whereas Wisconsin was nearly a full percentage point better in January.
Between February 2008 and February 2009, Wisconsin lost nearly 90,000 non-farm jobs. About 40,000 manufacturing jobs were lost, as were about 37,000 jobs in the service sector.
Rock County is ranked third highest in the state, with unemployment at 13 percent, up from 11.6 percent last month and 5.8 percent a year ago. Dane County held much better at 5.5 percent, up from 4.9 percent last month and 3.3 percent a year ago. Dane remains the county with the lowest unemployment in the state.
Unemployment rates were up last month in 71 of Wisconsin's 72 counties.
The exception is Kewaunee County in east-central Wisconsin, where the rate remained unchanged at 7.3 percent.
The state Department of Workforce Development said Wednesday unemployment reached double digits in 12 Wisconsin cities in February.
That's twice as many cities as had at least 10 percent unemployment in January.
The hardest-hit cities are Beloit at 16.9 percent unemployment and Racine at 15.6 percent. They're followed by Janesville at 14.6 percent, West Bend at 12.3 percent and Sheboygan at 12.2 percent.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) on Wednesday released February jobless numbers for the state, counties and some cities. Unemployment statewide was 8.8 percent, up 1.1 percentage points from January's rate of 7.7 percent.
Green County's unemployment rate stands at 9.1 percent, up 1 percentage point from last month (8.1), and up almost 4 percentage points from a year ago (5.2).
Lafayette County rose slightly less to 7.9 percent, up 0.6 percentage points from last month. A year ago, Lafayette's unemployment rate was 4.9 percent.
The DWD says state unemployment in February was 8.8 percent. That's up 1.1 percent from January.
It's also nearly 4 percentage points higher than the rate for the same period last year.
The numbers mean Wisconsin's unemployment has caught up to national numbers. State and federal rates for February are about the same now, whereas Wisconsin was nearly a full percentage point better in January.
Between February 2008 and February 2009, Wisconsin lost nearly 90,000 non-farm jobs. About 40,000 manufacturing jobs were lost, as were about 37,000 jobs in the service sector.
Rock County is ranked third highest in the state, with unemployment at 13 percent, up from 11.6 percent last month and 5.8 percent a year ago. Dane County held much better at 5.5 percent, up from 4.9 percent last month and 3.3 percent a year ago. Dane remains the county with the lowest unemployment in the state.
Unemployment rates were up last month in 71 of Wisconsin's 72 counties.
The exception is Kewaunee County in east-central Wisconsin, where the rate remained unchanged at 7.3 percent.
The state Department of Workforce Development said Wednesday unemployment reached double digits in 12 Wisconsin cities in February.
That's twice as many cities as had at least 10 percent unemployment in January.
The hardest-hit cities are Beloit at 16.9 percent unemployment and Racine at 15.6 percent. They're followed by Janesville at 14.6 percent, West Bend at 12.3 percent and Sheboygan at 12.2 percent.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.