MADISON - As the harvest season opened up this year, August unemployment rates in Green and Lafayette counties were down again - for the fifth straight year in a row.
Both counties saw their monthly unemployment rates drop in August from July, as did 67 other counties in the state, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary estimates released last week by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
Green County's August unemployment rate dropped to 5.2 percent, down 0.6 percentage point from 5.8 percent in July.
Lafayette County's unemployment rate was 5.1 in August, down 0.5 percentage point from 5.6 percent in July.
Harvest helps
As harvest revs up, Green and Lafayette counties typically see their monthly unemployment rates fall until the January rebound.
It is tempting to peg the cause of lower autumn unemployment rates fully on the increase in farm employment. But an increase in the number of nonfarm, but ag-related jobs, such as those in grain elevators, parts and repair shops, and trucking, also happens, as well as in service industries that feed and sometimes bed those workers.
It is also the time parents, students and teachers get ready for school to go back into session, and stores prepare for Christmas.
This year, both counties saw bigger drops in their July-to-August unemployment rates - as much as 3 times larger - than they have in at least the past four Augusts.
A seasonal reversal perhaps
Adding to the good news, the August work force numbers and the number of employed did not drop as they had in the past four years.
Green County had a labor force of more than 20,240 in August.
The total labor force - those who are employed and those who are registered for unemployment insurance benefits, dropped just 0.13 percent, signifying a loss of 27 people from July to August.
While Green County did lose some people from its work force this August, it was a screeching slowdown from the acceleration of the recent past years
More than 150 had left the Green County August work force in 2012; more than 120 did so in 2011; and 86 did in 2010.
Fortunately, county employers also added employees to their pay rolls this August; 97 more people had jobs in August compared to July. Between 2010 and 2011, August had been a month of losing employed people - as many as 70 in 2011.
Lafayette's August labor force numbered 9,085.
Lafayette broke its 4-year trend of losing workers between July and August, adding 20 people, or 2.2 percent, to its workforce, rather than losing employees - as many as 116 people in August 2011.
It also put 66 more people to work in August, compared to 2010 to 2012 when it lost workers in August - as many as 90 in August 2011.
Over all, in Green and Lafayette counties, August unemployment rates have been consistently dropping in the past five years. Lafayette's rate has fallen from 7.1 percent in 2009 to 5.1 this August. August rates were below 4 percent in the previous five years.
Green County's August rates have fallen from 9.2 percent in 2009 to 5.2 percent this August. Rates were below 4.3 percent in the previous five years.
Other area county rates
July-to-August unemployment rates in surrounding area counties were also down.
In Dane County, unemployment was down just 0.3 percentage point to 4.5 percent in August. Rock County dropped 0.5 percentage point to end at 7.4 percent. Iowa County also dropped 0.5 percentage point, to 4.8 percent.
Dane, Iowa, Lafayette, and Green counties ranked in the top quartile of counties with the lowest unemployment rates, which ranged from 4.0 percent in St. Croix to 5.4 percent in Waukesha.
Rock County fell in the bottom quarter of the counties with highest unemployment rates, which ranged from 7.0 percent in Vilas to 9.8 percent in Iron, plus 16.7 percent in Menominee County.
Compared to rates in August of last year, Green County was down 0.8 percentage point from 6.0 percent. Lafayette County was down 0.2 percentage point from 5.3 percent.
Dane was down 0.4 percentage point from 4.9 percent. Iowa was down 0.3 percentage point from 5.1 percent. Rock County was down 0.8 percentage point from 8.2 percent.
August rates in all but three counties, Bayfield, Buffalo and Florence, decreased compared to August 2012.
County unemployment statistics are not seasonally adjusted.
Wisconsin non-seasonally adjusted rate was 6.2 percent, down from 6.8 percent in July and a year ago.
The nation's non-seasonally adjusted rate for August was 7.3 percent, down from 7.7 percent in July and down from 8.2 percent a year ago.
Both counties saw their monthly unemployment rates drop in August from July, as did 67 other counties in the state, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary estimates released last week by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
Green County's August unemployment rate dropped to 5.2 percent, down 0.6 percentage point from 5.8 percent in July.
Lafayette County's unemployment rate was 5.1 in August, down 0.5 percentage point from 5.6 percent in July.
Harvest helps
As harvest revs up, Green and Lafayette counties typically see their monthly unemployment rates fall until the January rebound.
It is tempting to peg the cause of lower autumn unemployment rates fully on the increase in farm employment. But an increase in the number of nonfarm, but ag-related jobs, such as those in grain elevators, parts and repair shops, and trucking, also happens, as well as in service industries that feed and sometimes bed those workers.
It is also the time parents, students and teachers get ready for school to go back into session, and stores prepare for Christmas.
This year, both counties saw bigger drops in their July-to-August unemployment rates - as much as 3 times larger - than they have in at least the past four Augusts.
A seasonal reversal perhaps
Adding to the good news, the August work force numbers and the number of employed did not drop as they had in the past four years.
Green County had a labor force of more than 20,240 in August.
The total labor force - those who are employed and those who are registered for unemployment insurance benefits, dropped just 0.13 percent, signifying a loss of 27 people from July to August.
While Green County did lose some people from its work force this August, it was a screeching slowdown from the acceleration of the recent past years
More than 150 had left the Green County August work force in 2012; more than 120 did so in 2011; and 86 did in 2010.
Fortunately, county employers also added employees to their pay rolls this August; 97 more people had jobs in August compared to July. Between 2010 and 2011, August had been a month of losing employed people - as many as 70 in 2011.
Lafayette's August labor force numbered 9,085.
Lafayette broke its 4-year trend of losing workers between July and August, adding 20 people, or 2.2 percent, to its workforce, rather than losing employees - as many as 116 people in August 2011.
It also put 66 more people to work in August, compared to 2010 to 2012 when it lost workers in August - as many as 90 in August 2011.
Over all, in Green and Lafayette counties, August unemployment rates have been consistently dropping in the past five years. Lafayette's rate has fallen from 7.1 percent in 2009 to 5.1 this August. August rates were below 4 percent in the previous five years.
Green County's August rates have fallen from 9.2 percent in 2009 to 5.2 percent this August. Rates were below 4.3 percent in the previous five years.
Other area county rates
July-to-August unemployment rates in surrounding area counties were also down.
In Dane County, unemployment was down just 0.3 percentage point to 4.5 percent in August. Rock County dropped 0.5 percentage point to end at 7.4 percent. Iowa County also dropped 0.5 percentage point, to 4.8 percent.
Dane, Iowa, Lafayette, and Green counties ranked in the top quartile of counties with the lowest unemployment rates, which ranged from 4.0 percent in St. Croix to 5.4 percent in Waukesha.
Rock County fell in the bottom quarter of the counties with highest unemployment rates, which ranged from 7.0 percent in Vilas to 9.8 percent in Iron, plus 16.7 percent in Menominee County.
Compared to rates in August of last year, Green County was down 0.8 percentage point from 6.0 percent. Lafayette County was down 0.2 percentage point from 5.3 percent.
Dane was down 0.4 percentage point from 4.9 percent. Iowa was down 0.3 percentage point from 5.1 percent. Rock County was down 0.8 percentage point from 8.2 percent.
August rates in all but three counties, Bayfield, Buffalo and Florence, decreased compared to August 2012.
County unemployment statistics are not seasonally adjusted.
Wisconsin non-seasonally adjusted rate was 6.2 percent, down from 6.8 percent in July and a year ago.
The nation's non-seasonally adjusted rate for August was 7.3 percent, down from 7.7 percent in July and down from 8.2 percent a year ago.