CONTACT: Amy Hasenberg, (608) 266-2839
MADISON – Governor Scott Walker released the following statement today after the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced Wisconsin created 8,900 private sector jobs and the preliminary unemployment rate held at 2.9 percent in March 2018, the second consecutive month for the record low rate.
“In 2010, our unemployment rate peaked at 9.3 percent. Today, it’s down to 2.9 percent, an all-time low,” said Governor Walker. “More people are working in Wisconsin than ever before, and thanks to our pro-jobs environment and highly-skilled, dependable workforce, we are maintaining record-low unemployment levels across the state. Wisconsin’s economy is booming and our investments in workforce development and talent attraction will continue supporting record levels of employment.”
DWD released the following information today:
- Wisconsin’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March remained at February’s record low of 2.9 percent. The prior record low was 3.0 percent set in May, June, and July 1999.
- The size of the state’s civilian labor force increased to 3,168,500, reaching an all-time high.
- Based on preliminary data, Wisconsin gained 8,900 private sector jobs over the month and a significant 27,800 private sector jobs and 13,200 manufacturing jobs over the year.
- The state’s labor force participation rate also increased from February 2018 to March by 0.1 percent to 68.7 percent, while the national rate decreased 0.1 percent to 62.9 percent over the same time period.
- The January 2018 to February 2018 jobs report was revised upward to a gain of 3,700. The data now shows a two-month increase of 12,600 private sector jobs.
More information from DWD can be found here.
