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Friday, March 6, 1998

Governor
Tommy G. Thompson

Secretary
Linda Stewart

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

January '98 job scene warms up

Wisconsin started off the new year with a sizzling 3.2 percent unemployment rate, the lowest in nearly 28 years. January's 3.2 compares to December's 3.5 percent and the nation's 4.7 percent, seasonally adjusted.

January's unemployment rate was the lowest in Wisconsin since the 3.1 percent recorded in March 1970. Just 12 months ago, in January 1997, unemployment was 3.8 percent.

Employers are once again creating jobs at a faster clip than the nation as a whole. The 71,800 new jobs (including 19,800 in manufacturing) created over the last 12 months represents a growth rate of 2.8 percent, compared to 2.7 percent nationally.

Did El Nino warm up an already torrid economy? It may not be that simple. Construction, often hampered by January's freeze, performed only modestly better than the average January.

A record 68.7% of the state's working-age population (age 16+) has a wage or salary job; in 1984, only 54 percent did.

"With such a tight labor market, employers will find Wisconsin's 74 Job Centers more helpful than ever," said Deputy Secretary Bruce Hagen. "Our Job Centersnow serve the full range of employers' needs with workers from every level, including experienced professionals and skilled workers as well as first-time workers."

Wisconsin's unemployment rate for calendar 1997 was 3.7 percent, ranking the state 11th in the nation and well below the nation's 4.9 percent. Wisconsin's 3.5 percent in 1996 had tied for fourth lowest.

Twelve-month increases in the U.S. Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index as of January 1998 for the Midwest region that includes Wisconsin were:

1.6% in metro areas over 1.5 million;
1.2% in cities between 50,000 and 1.5 million
0.5% in small towns.

Employment and Labor Force
Household Survey

Unadjusted estimates	January 1998	previous month	in last 12 months
Total labor force	2,913,400	- 22,600	+ 39,200
Employed	2,801,800	- 45,400	+ 56,600
Unemployed	111,600	+ 22,900	- 17,400
Wis. Unemployment	3.8%	3.0%	4.5%
U.S. Unemployment	5.2%	4.4%	5.9%

Seasonally adjusted	January 1998	previous month	in last 12 months
Total labor force	2,961,200	+ 8,200	+ 40,800
Employed	2,867,700	+ 17,900	+ 58,400
Unemployed	93,500	- 9,700	- 17,700
Wis. Unemployment	3.2%	3.5%	3.8%
U.S. Unemployment	4.7%	4.7%	5.3%

Dec. U.S. rank*	Unemployment % seasonally adjusted	January 1998	Last month	Year ago
9	Wisconsin	3.2	3.5	3.8
39	Appleton-Oshkosh	2.7	3.0	3.0
27	Eau Claire	3.4	3.4	4.1
39	Green Bay	2.7	2.9	3.1
102	Janesville-Beloit	3.3	3.8	5.0
48	Kenosha	3.0	2.6	4.0
48	La Crosse	2.8	2.8	3.3
2	Madison	1.5	1.7	1.7
48	Milwaukee-Waukesha	3.1	3.3	3.8
107	Racine	3.8	3.9	4.6
13	Sheboygan	2.3	2.6	2.8
102	Wausau	3.8	3.5	4.3
* of 276 metro areas or 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. September national rankings NOT seasonally adjusted. Lower is better.

Non-Farm Wage & Salary
Employer Survey

In Thousands	January	December	Year Ago	+/- month	+/- year
Nonfarm Wage & Salary	2631.6	2704.0	2559.8	-72.4	71.8

Manufacturing	613.3	615.2	593.5	-1.9	19.8
Durable Goods .	375.5	377.0	361.6	-1.5	13.9
Lumber And Wood Products	30.7	31.2	29.6	-0.5	1.1
Furniture And Fixtures	17.2	17.2	16.5	0.0	0.7
Stone, Clay & Glass Products	10.1	10.9	9.4	-0.8	0.7
Primary Metal Industries	25.9	25.8	23.8	0.1	2.1
Fabricated Metal Products	66.2	66.3	63.1	-0.1	3.1
Nonelectrical Machinery	115.4	114.9	112.7	0.5	2.7
Electrical Machinery	47.1	46.9	46.0	0.2	1.1
Transportation Equipment .	33.3	33.3	31.8	0.0	1.5
Prof., Scient. & Control Instr	18.4	18.5	17.8	-0.1	0.6
Miscellaneous Manufacturing	11.1	12.0	11.0	-0.9	0.1

Nondurable Goods	237.8	238.1	231.9	-0.3	5.9
Food And Kindred Products	63.7	63.9	62.9	-0.2	0.8
Textile Mill Products	3.0	3.0	2.7	0.0	0.3
Apparel & Other Finished Prods.	6.3	6.3	6.2	0.0	0.1
Paper And Allied Products .	53.4	53.6	52.2	-0.2	1.2
Printing, Publishing & Allied . ..	55.2	55.2	53.1	0.0	2.1
Chemicals And Allied Products .	14.5	14.5	14.0	0.0	0.5
Rubber & Misc. Plastic Prods..	36.5	36.4	35.4	0.1	1.1
Leather & Leather Products	5.0	5.0	5.0	0.0	0.0
All Other Nondurable Goods ..	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0

Mining	2.0	2.4	1.9	-0.4	0.1
Contract Construction	96.5	107.8	92.7	-11.3	3.8
Trans, Comm, Elec, Gas	122.0	124.1	120.5	-2.1	1.5
Trade	596.5	623.8	586.9	-27.3	9.6
Wholesale Trade	133.0	134.4	129.6	-1.4	3.4
Retail Trade	463.5	489.4	457.2	-25.9	6.3
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate	141.1	141.9	138.4	-0.8	2.7
Services And Miscellaneous	673.9	691.5	644.1	-17.6	29.8

Government	386.4	397.4	381.7	-11.0	4.7
Federal	30.2	30.3	29.4	-0.1	0.8
State	93.4	97.7	92.7	-4.3	0.7
Local	262.7	269.3	259.6	-6.6	3.1

In Labor-Management Disputes	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	-0.3

Unemployment by County
not seasonally adjusted


                   this   last                                this   last 
Rank  County      month  month  Rank       Rank  County      month  month  Rank
                                                                                   
  16  Adams        6.6%   4.9%   26          44  Marathon     4.8%   3.1%   51
  13  Ashland      7.1%   5.7%   12          30  Marinette    5.7%   5.0%   24
  28  Barron       5.8%   5.2%   18           3  Marquette    8.6%   6.8%    6
   8  Bayfield     8.0%   6.4%   10          11  Menominee    7.4%   7.3%    2
  65  Brown        3.2%   2.5%   61          57  Milwaukee    3.6%   3.1%   49
  48  Buffalo      4.2%   3.6%   41          37  Monroe       5.1%   4.6%   28
                                                                                   
  15  Burnett      6.6%   4.9%   25          19  Oconto       6.5%   5.2%   20
  51  Calumet      3.8%   3.4%   45          22  Oneida       6.3%   5.2%   19
  31  Chippewa     5.7%   4.5%   30          61  Outagamie    3.4%   2.5%   62
   7  Clark        8.3%   6.3%   11          71  Ozaukee      2.1%   1.7%   71
  23  Columbia     6.3%   4.8%   27          26  Pepin        6.2%   4.4%   32
  41  Crawford     5.0%   3.6%   43          53  Pierce       3.8%   2.7%   58
                                                                                   
  72  Dane         1.9%   1.4%   72          38  Polk         5.1%   3.9%   36
  60  Dodge        3.5%   2.5%   64          42  Portage      5.0%   3.5%   44
   1  Door         8.9%   6.9%    5          36  Price        5.2%   4.4%   31
  33  Douglas      5.4%   4.2%   34          50  Racine       4.1%   3.3%   46
  49  Dunn         4.2%   3.0%   54          40  Richland     5.0%   3.8%   40
  58  Eau Claire   3.6%   2.8%   55          56  Rock         3.6%   3.1%   48
                                                                                   
   9  Florence     7.7%   6.7%    7           2  Rusk         8.8%   7.7%    1
  55  Fond Du Lac  3.7%   3.0%   53          43  Sauk         4.9%   3.6%   42
  18  Forest       6.5%   5.4%   16           4  Sawyer       8.5%   6.9%    4
  35  Grant        5.4%   3.9%   37          34  Shawano      5.4%   4.0%   35
  54  Green        3.8%   2.0%   69          69  Sheboygan    2.5%   2.1%   67
                                                                                   
  21  Green Lake   6.4%   5.1%   22          64  St. Croix    3.2%   2.7%   57
  39  Iowa County  5.1%   3.1%   52          14  Taylor       6.9%   5.5%   14
  10  Iron         7.7%   6.6%    8          25  Trempealeau  6.2%   5.1%   21
  29  Jackson      5.8%   4.6%   29          32  Vernon       5.6%   4.3%   33
  59  Jefferson    3.5%   2.6%   60          12  Vilas        7.2%   5.5%   15
   5  Juneau       8.4%   6.6%    9          66  Walworth     3.1%   2.3%   66
                                                                                   
  63  Kenosha      3.3%   2.6%   59           6  Washburn     8.3%   7.1%    3
  46  Kewaunee     4.6%   3.1%   50          67  Washington   3.0%   2.1%   68
  62  La Crosse    3.4%   2.5%   63          70  Waukesha     2.4%   1.9%   70
  47  Lafayette    4.6%   2.8%   56          52  Waupaca      3.8%   3.2%   47
  17  Langlade     6.5%   5.5%   13          20  Waushara     6.5%   5.1%   23
  24  Lincoln      6.2%   5.3%   17          68  Winnebago    2.7%   2.3%   67
  45  Manitowoc    4.6%   3.8%   39          27  Wood         6.2%   3.9%   38