Local unemployment rates rose in January

Department of Workforce Development Secretary Manny Perez today announced preliminary January unemployment rates for Wisconsin cities, counties and metropolitan areas. He also cited over 26,500 openings listed on JobCenterofWisconsin web site and urged the unemployed to apply for them.

“Wisconsin added 10,100 private sector jobs in January, giving us a head start on the hiring season,” Secretary Perez said. “We expect more job growth with Wisconsin’s new, business friendly image under Governor [Scott] Walker. The time is right for the unemployed to redouble job search efforts and help meet employer needs, particularly manufacturers with increasing production orders.”

Secretary Perez encouraged the unemployed to explore all job opportunities on DWD’s online employment site, https://jobcenterofwisconsin.com/. He said that by taking jobs now, they can help revitalize the economy while reducing the state’s unemployment burden.

Metro Milwaukee, including Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties, gained 6,600 jobs in January on a seasonally adjusted basis. Janesville, Oshkosh-Neenah, Racine and Sheboygan also added jobs. Eau Claire had no change, while Appleton, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, and Wausau metro areas lost jobs.

All 12 metro areas had higher rates in January compared to the previous month. Janesville had the highest rate, 10.5 percent; Madison, the lowest, 5.7 percent. All metro area rates were lower than the January 2010 rates with decreases as high as 2.8 percentage points in the case of Janesville.

Of 31 municipalities with at least 25,000 residents, all had rate increases except the Village of Mount Pleasant, which experienced a decline from 9.3 percent in December to 7.0 percent in January. Caledonia had the lowest rate, 3.8 percent, while Racine had the highest, 14.0 percent. All cities had lower rates compared to January 2010.

In Superior, the rate rose from December to 7.1 percent in January. Still, the rate was down more than 1 percentage point from last year.

All 72 counties had higher rates in January than in December, but lower rates than in January 2010. Door County had the highest rate, 13.3 percent, and Dane County, the lowest, 5.3 percent. Douglas County’s unemployment rate was 7.5 percent in January.

Tags: douglas county, news, jobs, wisconsin, superior, updates