Metro Milwaukee had almost half of Wisconsin’s job gains in November. Preliminary figures released Thursday by the state Department of Workforce Development show that 5,200 jobs were added last month in Milwaukee, Washington, Ozaukee, and Waukesha counties. Another 1,400 jobs were added in the Green Bay area.
The figures are based on quick surveys of just 3.5 percent of employers and are subject to heavy revisions later on.
The early figures showed that eight of the state’s 12 metro areas gained jobs last month. Madison lost the most jobs with 800. Racine, Wausau, and Oshkosh-Neenah had smaller losses.
Actual unadjusted unemployment rates rose in all 12 metros. They now range from 4.4 percent in the Madison area to 7.9 percent in Racine.
Of all 72 counties in the state, all but three saw their actual rates go up in November, as colder weather set in before the holiday hiring period. Ozaukee, Pierce, and Saint Croix counties reported steady joblessness from October.