MADISON — Wisconsin's unemployment rate dropped to a record low of 2.8% in March, according to preliminary numbers released Thursday, April 14, by the state Department of Workforce Development.
The seasonally-adjusted figure comes from a monthly survey of Wisconsin households by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the data is subject to later revisions, it follows a consistent trend in Wisconsin, where the state's unemployment rate tied the previous low of 2.9% in February.
While the unemployment rate can sometimes go down even when jobs are lost, preliminary BLS data for March showed total employment went up while unemployment went down.
"So in the labor force, everything is looking good for all the right reasons," said DWD chief economist Dennis Winters.
The monthly household survey also showed a total employment number of 3,056,200 in March, which Winters said was also a record.
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The preliminary national unemployment rate was 3.6% in March.
Jobs were also up in a separate monthly survey of employers, which found the state added 1,000 jobs in March, including about 500 jobs in the private sector.
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