Economists often report that statistically, an unemployment rate under 4 percent means near full employment. The latest numbers reported by the state shows 54 of Wisconsin's 72 counties with rates below 4 percent.The current rate is 3.4 percent statewide.
State Labor Economist Mitchell Rupp in Wausau reports on Northwoods numbers...
"For the month of July, the unemployment rates(are) Forest 5.0, Langlade 4.2, Lincoln 3.8, Oneida 3.7, and Vilas 3.3...."
Price county jumped to 5.3 with the third highest rate in the state, Iron county is second with a 6.1 percent rate. Menominee county has the highest rate in the state at 10 percent. Iron and Price saw their rates jump nearly two percentage points from this time last year.
All Northwoods counties saw their jobless rates either stay the same or rise slightly from one year ago. Rupp says while there has been a slight increase in unemployment, the rates still remain far below what they were just a few years ago.
The state's lowest rate was in Dane county at 2.6 percent.
