Private sector employment in Wisconsin increased by 3,600 in August and the state’s unemployment rate ticked down, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The gain in jobs was boosted by the construction sector, which added 2,300 positions, retail trade, which was up 1,300, and private education and health services, which was up 1,000.
Offsetting those gains was a drop of 900 positions in durable goods manufacturing.
The seasonally adjusted job totals are based on a survey of employers. A separate survey of households is used to determine figures like the unemployment rate and labor force participation.
Wisconsin’s unemployment rate ticked down a tenth to 2.9% in August, down 0.4 percentage points from a year ago.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2% in August, also down a tenth, but up 0.4 from 2023.
Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was unchanged in August at 65.5%, a figure that is down 0.5 percentage points from last year.
The U.S. rate was also unchanged at 62.7%, down a tenth from a year earlier.
Wisconsin’s overall labor force was 3,143,000 in August, down 100 from July and down 2,100 from August 2023.
The total number of people employed in Wisconsin – 3,051,900 – and total nonfarm payrolls – 3,047,300 – both set records, according to the state Department of Workforce Development, which released the BLS data on Thursday.
