While unemployment in the Northwoods is lower everywhere than one year ago, some of the states' highest rates remain in counties in this region.
State reported local numbers for December show Iron county with the highest rate in the state at 10.4 percent, Vilas fourth highest at 9.4, Oneida at 8.3, Forest at 8 percent, Lincoln at 7 percent, Langlade at 6.8 percent, and Price with the region's lowest number at 4.9 percent.
State economist Scott Hodek says all Northwoods counties' jobless numbers are down from one year ago. Most counties showed a slight increase from November numbers which Hodek says is routinely caused by summertime businesses shutting down....
"....you still had some holiday shopping retail hire, although most of those were hired in October and November usually. But then you have some of the warm weather industries that lasted through the fall starting to slow down..."
Hodek says the public appears to have had more money to spend this holiday season than in recent past years...
".....some of that has been proven by looking at how the 2014 holiday shopping season went. It was pretty good. It was better than 2013. A lot of on-line shopping especially. Overall it was better than the year prior, which points toward more discretionary spending....."
Hodek says the unemployment rate is being affected as more Baby Boomers leave the workforce but the longterm effect of that trend is still unclear. He says manufacturing and leisure and hospitality sectors remain strong. Dane county had the state's lowest unemployment rate at 3.2 percent.
