Dept. of Workforce Development: Wisconsin unemployment remains under 3% for 5 consecutive months
MADISON -- For the first time in state history, Wisconsin's unemployment rate has remained under three percent for five consecutive months. That's according to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) -- which released the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revisions for May 2018 and preliminary estimates for June covering the employment and job statistics for the state of Wisconsin.
The BLS data shows the number of people employed in Wisconsin as well as the number of active participants in the state's labor force reached record highs in June. The data also showed that Wisconsin gained both total non-farm (+7,400) and private-sector (+5,500) jobs from May 2018 to June, and a significant 17,600 manufacturing jobs over the year.
A news release indicates since December 2010, Wisconsin has added over 48,000 manufacturing positions. May 2018 data was revised, from a loss of 4,700 total non-farm jobs to a gain of 100, and a loss of 5,300 private-sector jobs to a loss of 800. Wisconsin's labor force increased by 3,300 people over the month, bringing the number of active participants in Wisconsin's labor force to 3,092,100. This increase in active job seekers contributed to the slight increase in Wisconsin's unemployment rate, from a record low of 2.8 percent in April and May to 2.9 percent in June.
Governor Scott Walker issued the following statement about these latest figures:
"These are historically good times for Wisconsin’s economy. We are setting records, and we’ve been below 3 percent unemployment for 5 straight months. In June, we set new record highs for the number of people employed, as well as the number of people in the labor force. Wisconsin is working, and our future looks bright!"
The national unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in June.