Display News Releases

Monday, December 29, 1997

Governor
Tommy G. Thompson

Secretary
Linda Stewart

Contact
David Blaska
608/267-4400
e-mail: blaskd@mail.state.wi.us
fax: 608/266-1784

More workers, not fewer, this November

Normally, in Wisconsin, the number of jobholders shrinks by about 11,000 in November as the temperature gets colder. This year was different. The number of workers holding jobs increased by 4,300.
In fact, the job market grew faster than usual in November overall, including workers who were still job-hunting and thus, unemployed. The result was that the state's unemployment rate, adjusted for the season, remained at 3.4 percent. That is unchanged from October and is the same rate as 12 months earlier.
Wisconsin's 3.4 percent compares to 4.6 percent nationally. Continuing that 12-month perspective, the gain in jobholders and job-seekers from November 1996 to this November was double that achieved from October to October.
Although Wisconsin employers have filled 49,600 more jobs than they did one year ago, the job pick-up, at an annualized rate of 1.9 percent, is smaller than the 2.5 percent job gain nationally. That may be a function of two phenomena:
The nation is catching up to Wisconsin. Over the last 10 full years (1986-1996), Wisconsin created new jobs (not counting on-farm or self-employment) at an annualized rate of 2.9% a year - 1.4 times the national rate.
Wisconsin's labor market is tight; there aren't enough workers available to fill the jobs employers would like to create; 74 percent of all potential workers (that's anyone 16 years old and up) were already working in November. (Wisconsin led the nation in that statistic in 1996.)
Wisconsin employers posted 40 percent more job openings with the state's statewide network of Job Centers for the first five months of this fiscal year (since July 1) - 71,006 job openings compared to 50,543 for the comparable period the year before.
"Looking ahead, job growth in 1998 should be strong and steady, dependent primarily on the availability of workers," said Connie Hagen, Executive Assistant of the Department of Workforce Development.

Employment and Labor Force
Household Survey

Unadjusted estimates	November	previous month	in last 12 months
Total labor force	2,951,200	+10,600	+21,100
Employed	2,862,700	+4,300	+19,000
Unemployed	88,500	+6,300	+2,200
Wis. Unemployment	3.0%	2.8%	2.9%
U.S. Unemployment	4.3%	4.4%	5.0%

Seasonally adjusted	November	previous month	in last 12 months
Total labor force	2,958,700	+17,900	+17,100
Employed	2,857,000	+15,600	+15,200
Unemployed	101,700	+2,200	+1,900
Wis. Unemployment	3.4%	3.4%	3.4%
U.S. Unemployment	4.6%	4.7%	5.3%

Oct.. U.S. rank*	Unemployment % seasonally adjusted	Nov. 1997	Last month	Year ago
6	Wisconsin	3.4	3.4	3.4
41	Appleton-Oshkosh	2.9	2.8	2.6
26	Eau Claire	3.2	2.9	3.2
49	Green Bay	3.0	2.9	2.9
101	Janesville-Beloit	4.0	3.6	3.9
68	Kenosha	3.2	3.2	3.3
31	La Crosse	2.9	2.7	2.8
2	Madison	1.6	1.5	1.6
81	Milwaukee-Waukesha	3.3	3.2	3.3
112	Racine	3.7	3.8	3.9
28	Sheboygan	2.5	2.2	2.5
49	Wausau	3.7	3.3	3.4
* of 276 metro areas or 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. October national rankings NOT seasonally adjusted. Lower is better.

Non-Farm Wage & Salary
Employer Survey

in thousands	November	October	Year Ago	+/- month	+/- year
NONFARM WAGE & SALARY	2701.8	2696.8	2652.2	5.0	49.6

MANUFACTURING	606.5	607.6	599.1	-1.1	7.4
DURABLE GOODS .	372.2	371.9	365.9	0.3	6.3
Lumber and Wood Products	30.7	31.0	30.3	-0.3	0.4
Furniture and Fixtures	16.8	16.8	16.7	0.0	0.1
Stone, Clay & Glass Products	10.8	10.9	10.7	-0.1	0.1
Primary Metal Industries	25.8	25.5	24.1	0.3	1.7
Fabricated Metal Products	65.4	65.4	64.4	0.0	1.0
Nonelectrical Machinery	114.0	113.7	111.8	0.3	2.2
Electrical Machinery	46.1	46.1	46.1	0.0	0.0
Transportation Equipment .	32.8	32.6	32.0	0.2	0.8
Prof., Scient. & Control Instr	18.1	18.0	17.9	0.1	0.2
Miscellaneous Manufacturing	11.7	12.0	12.0	-0.3	-0.3

NONDURABLE GOODS	234.3	235.6	233.2	-1.3	1.1
Food and Kindred Products	62.9	64.8	64.6	-1.9	-1.7
Textile Mill Products	3.2	3.2	2.9	0.0	0.3
Apparel & Other Finished Prods.	6.3	6.3	6.4	0.0	-0.1
Paper and Allied Products .	52.1	52.0	51.9	0.1	0.2
Printing, Publishing & Allied . ..	54.7	54.4	53.0	0.3	1.7
Chemicals and Allied Products .	14.0	14.1	13.8	-0.1	0.2
Rubber & Misc. Plastic Prods..	35.9	35.6	35.1	0.3	0.8
Leather & Leather Products	4.9	4.9	5.1	0.0	-0.2
All Other Nondurable Goods ..	0.3	0.4	0.3	-0.1	0.0

MINING	2.7	2.8	2.7	-0.1	0.0
CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION	116.7	118.9	113.6	-2.2	3.1
TRANS, COMM, ELEC, GAS	123.7	123.7	122.6	0.0	1.1
TRADE	617.8	610.8	611.3	7.0	6.5
WHOLESALE TRADE	131.4	131.3	130.3	0.1	1.1
RETAIL TRADE	486.3	479.5	481.1	6.8	5.2
FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL ESTATE	143.3	143.0	139.0	0.3	4.3
SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS	691.5	695.2	666.5	-3.7	25.0

GOVERNMENT	399.7	394.8	397.4	4.9	2.3
FEDERAL	29.6	29.3	30.0	0.3	-0.4
STATE	101.0	99.5	99.7	1.5	1.3
LOCAL	269.1	266.0	267.7	3.1	1.4

PERSONS INVOLVED IN L-M DISPUTES	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	-0.3

Unemployment by County
not seasonally adjusted

Rank  County      this   last           Rank  County        this   last        
                  month  month/rank                         month  month/rank  
 
 21  Adams        4.6%   4.0%   14       47  Marathon       3.0%   2.6%   50   
 12  Ashland      5.4%   4.3%   10       15  Marinette      4.9%   4.2%   11   
 26  Barron       4.3%   3.0%   37        7  Marquette      5.7%   4.1%   13   
  3   Bayfield    7.0%   5.2%    5        1  Menominee      8.9%   9.1%    1   
 53  Brown        2.7%   2.6%   47       33  Milwaukee      3.6%   3.7%   18   
 62  Buffalo      2.3%   2.8%   41       22  Monroe         4.4%   6.4%    3   
 
 37  Burnett      3.5%   2.9%   39       13  Oconto         5.0%   4.1%   12   
 31  Calumet      3.7%   3.0%   36       25  Oneida         4.3%   3.5%   24   
 44  Chippewa     3.3%   2.3%   63       56  Outagamie      2.5%   2.4%   58   
 19  Clark        4.7%   3.7%   20       70  Ozaukee        1.9%   1.9%   69   
 18  Columbia     4.8%   3.6%   21       43  Pepin          3.3%   3.0%   35   
 41  Crawford     3.4%   3.1%   32       69  Pierce         2.1%   1.9%   70   
 
 72  Dane         1.4%   1.3%   72       51  Polk           2.8%   2.5%   56   
 63  Dodge        2.3%   2.6%   46       50  Portage        2.8%   2.6%   48   
  4  Door         6.8%   3.3%   31       35  Price          3.6%   2.9%   40   
 28  Douglas      4.0%   3.4%   28       42  Racine         3.3%   3.4%   26   
 61  Dunn         2.4%   1.9%   71       38  Richland       3.5%   2.8%   44   
 54  Eau Claire   2.6%   2.4%   60       36  Rock           3.5%   3.3%   30   
 
  9  Florence     5.5%   4.9%    7       11  Rusk           5.4%   5.3%    4   
 49  Fond Du Lac  2.9%   2.6%   49       48  Sauk           3.0%   2.5%   57   
 23  Forest       4.4%   3.5%   25        8  Sawyer         5.6%   3.8%   17   
 27  Grant        4.0%   3.7%   19       30  Shawano        3.8%   3.4%   27   
 71  Green        1.8%   1.9%   68       65  Sheboygan      2.2%   2.1%   65   
 20  Green Lake   4.7%   3.4%   29       66  St. Croix      2.2%   2.0%   67   
 
 60  Iowa         2.4%   2.3%   62       32  Taylor         3.7%   2.6%   52   
  2  Iron         7.1%   5.0%    6       29  Trempealeau    3.9%   3.5%   22   
 34  Jackson      3.6%   3.1%   33       24  Vernon         4.3%   3.5%   23   
 57  Jefferson    2.5%   2.4%   59       16  Vilas          4.9%   3.1%   34   
  5  Juneau       6.4%   6.5%    2       64  Walworth       2.3%   2.3%   61   
 52  Kenosha      2.7%   2.9%   38       10  Washburn       5.5%   4.8%    8   
 
 46  Kewaunee     3.1%   2.8%   43       67  Washington     2.1%   2.5%   53   
 58  La Crosse    2.5%   2.2%   64       68  Waukesha       2.1%   2.0%   66   
 59  Lafayette    2.4%   2.5%   54       45  Waupaca        3.1%   2.8%   42   
  6  Langlade     5.8%   4.7%    9       14  Waushara       5.0%   4.0%   15   
 17  Lincoln      4.8%   3.8%   16       55  Winnebago      2.5%   2.5%   55   
 39  Manitowoc    3.5%   2.7%   45       40  Wood           3.5%   2.6%   51