The Wisconsin economy added 5,000 private sector jobs in July and the state’s adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 percent, the same as in June, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, released by the state Department of Workforce Development.
“In July, we continued to see a significant year-over-year increase in private sector employment,” said DWD Secretary Ray Allen. “July marked the third consecutive month in which our state’s unemployment rate was at 4.2 percent, a level not seen in Wisconsin since 2001.”
The U.S. unemployment rate is at 4.9 percent.
The state also added 4,100 government jobs, with most of them (3,100) in local government.
However, the state’s private sector job growth for June was revised downward by 5,300 to 5,600, according to the latest report.
The state’s labor force participation rate in July dipped 0.2 percent to 68.3 percent, but is still better than the national labor force participation rate of 62.8 percent.
The state has now added 33,500 private sector jobs in 2016, and 45,700 private sector jobs from July of 2015 to July of 2016.
“The 12-month gain of 45,700 private-sector jobs demonstrates that our pro-business policies are helping to create new employment opportunities for working families across Wisconsin,” Allen said. “For our part, DWD will continue connecting workers with the skills training necessary for good-paying, in-demand jobs today, even as we set our sights on long-term strategies to attract and retain skilled talent and keep Wisconsin’s economy growing.”
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