Wisconsin’s unemployment rate hit a 14-year low of 4.3 percent in September, on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the latest report from the state Department of Workforce Development.
That is the lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the state since April of 2001 and is down from 4.5 percent in August of 2015. The state’s September unemployment rate was the lowest for the month since September of 2000, when the rate hit 3.7 percent.
The national unemployment rate for September was 5.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis.
On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the state’s unemployment rate was 3.6 percent and the national unemployment rate was 4.9 percent.
“Wisconsin hasn’t seen its September unemployment rate this low since former Governor Tommy Thompson was in office,” said Department of Workforce Development Secretary Reggie Newson.
However, the state lost 1,300 private sector jobs during September, according to the DWD report. The state added 2,700 government jobs during the month.
Through the first nine months of the year the state has added 20,900 private sector jobs and 28,200 total jobs (public and private sector combined), according to the DWD. The state added 45,300 private sector jobs and 53,400 total jobs from September 2014 to September 2015, according to DWD.
“Wisconsin’s long-term trend continues to be one of economic growth,” Newson said.
