The number of Wisconsinites without a job gets even higher.
The unemployment rate for June is up to 9.2%, according to the state Department of Workforce Development. The unemployment rate was just 4.7% at the same time a year ago — about half. June's jobless rate is one half of a percentage point worse than May, but state labor economist Eric Grosso says it's not as bad as it seems, because there are more people looking for jobs at this time of year.
He says younger people out of school are typically looking for work at this time of year. "The rise from May to June is not surprising."
Grosso says, there are plenty of folks working in the tourism industry at this time of year. And a glimmer of good news in manufacturing …
"We also saw a very large increase in manufacturing employment. One of the first monthly increases in manufacturing in the state in quite a while."
There were 123,000 fewer jobs in June when compared to June of 2008. But Grosso notes, Wisconsin's unadjusted unemployment rate of 9.2% for June was slightly lower than the national rate of 9.7%, which increased more than a half a percent from May.
NOTE: A recent report shows more men in the country are out of work than women. Grosso says it had to do with the deterioration of construction and manufacturing jobs, mostly occupied by men. Meanwhile, 70% – 90% of jobs in the growing health care industry are occupied by women.
Milwaukee officials say they've identified two suspects in connection with the Patrick Cudahy meat plant fire on July 5th, which caused over $50-million in damage. It took over 150 firefighters three days to extinguish the fire. Cudahy police chief Thomas Poellot says survelance video was examined and found that a military flare that landed on the roof caused the blaze. 
