Private sector employment fell in September in Wisconsin for the third consecutive month, even as the unemployment rate improved slightly, according to the latest report released today by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
The state lost 900 jobs among private-sector employers, the report said.
Employment in the government sector continued to fall, losing an estimated 11,700 jobs. The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dipped slightly to 7.8 percent in September from 7.9 percent in August.
The unemployment rate in January, when Gov. Scott Walker took office with a promise to create 250,000 new jobs in the next four years, was 7.4 percent.
"Our unemployment rate ticked down while the nation's rate was unchanged, and through August, Wisconsin's rate continued to be lower than rates of other manufacturing-heavy Midwest states including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio," DWD Secretary Scott Baumbach said. "Even so, our state's unemployment rate is still too high and underscores the urgency of the special session that Governor Walker has called to get Wisconsin working again. The Governor's leadership, along with the support of the Legislature, will keep us moving in the right direction."
Baumbach said "good jobs" are available at www.jobcenterofwisconsin.com. All new claimants filing for state unemployment benefits are now required to register at the web site, Baumbach said.
"This will help us determine their job skills and expedite their job search," he said. "We can match their skills to available jobs, alert them to openings and connect them with employers. We urge all job seekers to explore the job opportunities on our site."
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