Wisconsin’s unemployment rate dropped to five percent in January, falling to its lowest level since August of 2008 when the Great Recession was just starting to emerge.
State workforce development officials reported Thursday that the seasonally-adjusted jobless rate went down by two-tenths of a percentage point from December to January. The report said Wisconsin gained about 300 private sector jobs during the period, although those numbers vary greatly because survey takers only have time to interview 3.5 percent of employers for the monthly reports.
The federal government puts out a much more comprehensive survey in which virtually all employers provide data. It has a lag of several months, but it shows how Wisconsin compares to other states in its job creation results. The latest report is due out in two weeks.