Wisconsin’s unemployment rate continued a downward trend last month. The state Department of Workforce Development says the seasonally-adjusted jobless rate for June was 6.8 percent for June, down from seven percent the previous month, and 7.1 percent in April.
Preliminary figures show that Wisconsin gained a seasonally-adjusted 13,800 private sector jobs. The number is based on a survey of just 3.5 percent percent of employers, and it’s often adjusted a few weeks later.
Department Secretary Reggie Newson highlighted the month-to-month increase, calling it the largest since September of 2003. Still, he said people should look at all economic indicators to judge what’s happening.
Newson again noted that the quarterly Census of Employment and Wages is the most accurate reflection of Wisconsin’s job picture, with 95-to-96 percent of employers surveyed. Those surveys don’t get as much publicity, because they’re not as timely. The most recent quarterly report showed an increase of 62,000 private sector jobs in Wisconsin during 2011 and 2012.