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Unemployment Creeps Up In December-Still Near Historic Lows

pixabay.com

There was a slight uptick in Northwoods joblessness in December but an economist says this is expected this time of year. State Labor Economist Mitchell Rupp in Wausau tells us the numbers...

"...The unemployment rate for December finds Forest at 4.5(percent), Langlade at 3.5, Lincoln at 2.7, Oneida, 3.9, Vilas 4.3..."

Iron county is at 5.2 percent and Price county at 3.4 percent.

Rupp says all the counties had slightly lower unemployment rates than one year ago except Forest county which is unchanged at 4.5 percent from December of 2017.

Rupp says the rates increased slightly in each county from November 2018 to December...

"Unemployment rates had bumped up a little bit, but this is typically what we expect because as we have colder weather, there are seasonal industries such as agriculture, construction, etc., where work in those industries are curtailed...."

Preliminary unemployment rates for December 2018 declined or stayed the same in 52 of Wisconsin's 72 counties over-the-year. The largest over-the-year decline occurred in Florence county. Dane County had the state's lowest unemployment rate in December at 1.9 percent.

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