Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RALPH ANSAMI
While Iron County again had the worst unemployment rate in Wisconsin in May, there was substantial improvement in the job numbers.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reported this week the unemployment rate in Iron County improved from 7.6 percent in April to 5.3 percent in May.
A year ago it was 7.1 percent.
Ashland County improved from 4.7 percent in April to 3.8 percent in May.
Vilas County went from 5.4 percent to 3.4 percent and neighboring Oneida County dropped from 4 percent to 2.9 percent, according to the DWD.
Price County improved from 3.7 percent to 3 percent.
May 2017 jobless rates reached all-time lows in Green Bay and Racine and tied the all-time lows in Fitchburg, Milwaukee, Sun Prairie and Waukesha.
The rates decreased or remained the same in 68 of the 72 Wisconsin counties.
The DWD said May 2017 unemployment rates reached all-time lows in Clark, Columbia, Juneau, Vernon and Washburn counties and tied all-time lows in Lafayette, Langlade, Marquette, Monroe, Price and Waupaca counties.
Data showed both total labor force and employment in Wisconsin remained at all-time highs in May, while the number of unemployed individuals was its lowest since February 2000.
Wisconsin’s 3.1 percent jobless rate tied for the seventh lowest in the nation and was significantly lower than the national rate of 4.3 percent.
Wisconsin added 40,400 total non-farm jobs from May 2016 to May 2017.
