Workforce Development Reports Improved Unemployment Numbers
City-Times Staff
Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has improved slightly according to a report from the Department of Workforce Development (DWD).
According to the monthly report for May- which is still preliminary and subject to revision- unemployment dipped a fraction of a percentage point to 7.0 percent last month.
That’s down from 7.1 percent in April and unchanged from May of last year. The national rate is 7.6 percent.
Wisconsin’s leisure and hospitality industry gained a net of 19,200 jobs from April to May. The construction industry added 10,500 jobs over that same period.
The biggest drop came in government positions. From April to May there were 7,400 fewer state employees and 100 fewer federal employees in Wisconsin. About 2,400 jobs in local government were added during that same time.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics contributed to the DWD report.