MADISON - Unemployment rates dropped in Green and Lafayette counties between August and October - enough to start knocking at the door to join the historical 1990s rates.
The Department of Workforce Development released the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' estimates of unemployment and employment statistics Wednesday, Nov. 27 for Wisconsin counties, metro areas and major cities.
During the 16-day federal government shutdown in October, BLS-funded operations, including access to data servers and statistical analysis, were stopped. As a result, BLS canceled the release of September preliminary estimates and this month issued revised estimates for both August and September, along with the preliminary October estimates.
Green County unemployment dropped from 5.2 percent in August to 5.0 percent in September and landed at 4.7 percent for October. Unemployment in October 2012 was 5.2 percent.
This year has the lowest October unemployment rate the county has seen since 2008, when the rate was 4.3 percent.
Between 1993 and 2007, Green County's October unemployment rates were below 4 percent. The labor force of 20,155 last month is also the highest for October the county has had since 2008, when it was 20,306.
The improvement in Green County's unemployment rate was not enough to keep its ranking among other counties; it dropped to 59th from 61st in August.
St. Croix, placing at 72nd, has the lowest rate of 3.8 percent; Iron County rated first with 12.1 percent unemployment.
Lafayette County, however, succeeded in jumping to 65th place of the 72 counties, after placing 63rd in August.
Lafayette unemployment rate dropped from 5.1 percent in August to 4.6 percent in September and ended at 4.3 percent in October. It was 4.4 percent in October 2012. The previous lower October unemployment rate was in 2008, at 3.6 percent. Lafayette's historical October unemployment rate was at or below 3.6 percent between 1993 and 2008, except for 2002 when it reached 4.2 percent.
The county's labor force at 9,236 is not quite back to par with 2011 and 2010, but is above the levels seen in the 1990s.
Dane and Rock county unemployment rates also decreased over the same period. Dane went from 4.5 percent in August to 4 percent in October, with a 4.1 percent rate in October 2012. Dane is ranked 71st.
Rock County also moved up in the rankings, from 14th to 19th, with an unemployment rate of 6.9 percent in October, down from 7.4 percent in August. Rock was at 7.2 percent unemployment in October 2012.
Unemployment rates decreased or remained the same in 55 of Wisconsin's 72 counties from September 2013 to October 2013. Compared to October 2012, the latest rates decreased in 55, remained unchanged in four, and increased in 13.
Sauk County rode out the last three months steady at 5.2 percent, which pulled its ranking from 59th to 42nd. It had a rate of 5.6 percent unemployment in October 2012.
In the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Janesville dropped from 7.4 percent in August to 6.9 percent in October, down from 7.2 percent a year ago. Madison dropped from 4.5 percent to 4.1 percent, down from 4.3 percent a year ago.
Preliminary October 2013 unemployment rates decreased in 11 of 12 metro areas, compared to rates in September 2013, and either decreased or remained the same in 11 of 12 metro areas compared to rates in October 2012. The October 2013 rates ranged from 4.1 percent in metro Madison to 7.9 percent in metro Racine.
The story is the same in municipalities. Rates either decreased or remained the same in 29 of Wisconsin's 32 largest municipalities from September 2013 to October 2013. Compared to October 2012, rates decreased in 24 municipalities and increased in eight. October 2013 rates ranged from 3.1 percent in Caledonia to 11.7 percent in Racine.
The City of Madison dropped from 4.6 percent in August to 4.1 in October, from 4.2 percent in October 2012. Janesville settled at 7.6 percent after remaining steady at 7.8 percent from August to September. It was at 8.0 percent in October 2012.
Local numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
Without seasonal adjustment, Wisconsin's October rate was 5.7 percent, down from 5.9 percent in September, 6.2 percent in August and 5.9 percent in October 2012. The U.S. rate for October and September was 7 percent, down from 7.5 percent in October 2012.
Wisconsin's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October, 6.5 percent, is significantly below the U. S. average of 7.3 percent and is Wisconsin's lowest rate since December 2008.
The DWD reported the state's annual average weekly Unemployment Insurance claims are at their lowest levels since 2000.
The BLS state-by-state employment estimates for October 2013 noted Wisconsin manufacturing jobs grew by 2.1 percent year over year, ranking Wisconsin the 6th highest in growth rate among states. Wisconsin's private nonfarm job totals grew by 1.8 percent year over year, ranking it 20th highest in the nation. Wisconsin's total nonfarm job totals grew by 1.5 percent year over year, ranking 21st highest.
The Department of Workforce Development released the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' estimates of unemployment and employment statistics Wednesday, Nov. 27 for Wisconsin counties, metro areas and major cities.
During the 16-day federal government shutdown in October, BLS-funded operations, including access to data servers and statistical analysis, were stopped. As a result, BLS canceled the release of September preliminary estimates and this month issued revised estimates for both August and September, along with the preliminary October estimates.
Green County unemployment dropped from 5.2 percent in August to 5.0 percent in September and landed at 4.7 percent for October. Unemployment in October 2012 was 5.2 percent.
This year has the lowest October unemployment rate the county has seen since 2008, when the rate was 4.3 percent.
Between 1993 and 2007, Green County's October unemployment rates were below 4 percent. The labor force of 20,155 last month is also the highest for October the county has had since 2008, when it was 20,306.
The improvement in Green County's unemployment rate was not enough to keep its ranking among other counties; it dropped to 59th from 61st in August.
St. Croix, placing at 72nd, has the lowest rate of 3.8 percent; Iron County rated first with 12.1 percent unemployment.
Lafayette County, however, succeeded in jumping to 65th place of the 72 counties, after placing 63rd in August.
Lafayette unemployment rate dropped from 5.1 percent in August to 4.6 percent in September and ended at 4.3 percent in October. It was 4.4 percent in October 2012. The previous lower October unemployment rate was in 2008, at 3.6 percent. Lafayette's historical October unemployment rate was at or below 3.6 percent between 1993 and 2008, except for 2002 when it reached 4.2 percent.
The county's labor force at 9,236 is not quite back to par with 2011 and 2010, but is above the levels seen in the 1990s.
Dane and Rock county unemployment rates also decreased over the same period. Dane went from 4.5 percent in August to 4 percent in October, with a 4.1 percent rate in October 2012. Dane is ranked 71st.
Rock County also moved up in the rankings, from 14th to 19th, with an unemployment rate of 6.9 percent in October, down from 7.4 percent in August. Rock was at 7.2 percent unemployment in October 2012.
Unemployment rates decreased or remained the same in 55 of Wisconsin's 72 counties from September 2013 to October 2013. Compared to October 2012, the latest rates decreased in 55, remained unchanged in four, and increased in 13.
Sauk County rode out the last three months steady at 5.2 percent, which pulled its ranking from 59th to 42nd. It had a rate of 5.6 percent unemployment in October 2012.
In the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Janesville dropped from 7.4 percent in August to 6.9 percent in October, down from 7.2 percent a year ago. Madison dropped from 4.5 percent to 4.1 percent, down from 4.3 percent a year ago.
Preliminary October 2013 unemployment rates decreased in 11 of 12 metro areas, compared to rates in September 2013, and either decreased or remained the same in 11 of 12 metro areas compared to rates in October 2012. The October 2013 rates ranged from 4.1 percent in metro Madison to 7.9 percent in metro Racine.
The story is the same in municipalities. Rates either decreased or remained the same in 29 of Wisconsin's 32 largest municipalities from September 2013 to October 2013. Compared to October 2012, rates decreased in 24 municipalities and increased in eight. October 2013 rates ranged from 3.1 percent in Caledonia to 11.7 percent in Racine.
The City of Madison dropped from 4.6 percent in August to 4.1 in October, from 4.2 percent in October 2012. Janesville settled at 7.6 percent after remaining steady at 7.8 percent from August to September. It was at 8.0 percent in October 2012.
Local numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
Without seasonal adjustment, Wisconsin's October rate was 5.7 percent, down from 5.9 percent in September, 6.2 percent in August and 5.9 percent in October 2012. The U.S. rate for October and September was 7 percent, down from 7.5 percent in October 2012.
Wisconsin's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October, 6.5 percent, is significantly below the U. S. average of 7.3 percent and is Wisconsin's lowest rate since December 2008.
The DWD reported the state's annual average weekly Unemployment Insurance claims are at their lowest levels since 2000.
The BLS state-by-state employment estimates for October 2013 noted Wisconsin manufacturing jobs grew by 2.1 percent year over year, ranking Wisconsin the 6th highest in growth rate among states. Wisconsin's private nonfarm job totals grew by 1.8 percent year over year, ranking it 20th highest in the nation. Wisconsin's total nonfarm job totals grew by 1.5 percent year over year, ranking 21st highest.