The state’s unemployment rate has fallen below six percent for the first time since 2008.
Numbers released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show Wisconsin’s preliminary unemployment rate for March fell to 5.9 percent, down from 6.1 percent in February and well below the national average of 6.7 percent. It’s the lowest rate recorded for the state since November of 2008.
The BLS figures also estimate Wisconsin gained a seasonally adjusted 6,400 private-sector jobs last month, with 2,300 of those in manufacturing. The state Department of Workforce Development says Wisconsin has added more than 38,000 jobs since March of 2013.
The state’s unemployment rate hit a high point during the recession in 2010, when it peaked at 9.2 percent.