The number of private sector jobs in Wisconsin was flat in February, but the state’s unemployment rate did decline to 3%, according to the latest data from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
The unemployment rate in January was 3.2%. In the same time period, the U.S. unemployment rate ticked up from 3.7% to 3.9%.
Wisconsin’s unemployment rate decline was primarily the result of a drop in the number of people considered unemployed from 100,400 to 95,600.
Overall employment was down by 100, meaning the labor force shrank by 4,900. The labor force participation rate decreased two tenths to 65.7%. Nationally, labor force participation was flat at 62.5%.
Data on the labor market comes from two different sets of surveys, which at times can lead to indicators moving in different directions. Information on the number of people employed, unemployed and participating in the labor force comes from a survey of households. Information on the number of jobs in various industries, on the other hand, comes from a survey of employers.
That industry level data showed no change in total private sector employment, although there was some movement at the industry level.
In goods producing sectors, nondurable goods manufacturing added 700 positions while construction was down by 500.
On the private service side, transportation, warehousing and utilities saw an increase of 2,100 jobs, health care and social assistance added 1,000 and accommodation and food service added 1,300.
Those gains, however, were offset by the loss of 3,700 positions in professional and business services.
