County's estimated jobless rate declines over 12-month period

By Michael Burke
Journal Times

Thursday, July 24, 2008 11:11 AM CDT

RACINE COUNTY — The county’s estimated jobless rate declined over the 12 months from June 2007 to this June, the state reported Wednesday.

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development released its monthly unemployment estimates showing Racine County at 5.9 percent in June. That was a 0.3 percent slide from 6.2 percent the previous June.

Those numbers are based on where people live. Looking at where jobs are actually located, the agency said this county lost about 1,400 jobs in that one-year span, sliding from an estimated 82,300 to 80,900 jobs.

The county’s 5.9 percent jobless rate ranked it 11th-highest among Wisconsin’s 72 counties.

Meanwhile, the City of Racine’s estimated jobless rate declined from 9.2 percent in June 2007 to 8.7 percent this June. Despite the improvement, the city maintained the highest unemployment rate among Wisconsin cities.

Other municipalities and their rates in that June to June period:

— Caledonia, at 3.0 percent, was about the same as its 2.9 percent rate a year earlier.

— Mount Pleasant’s rate declined to 5.8 percent from 6.2 percent.

— Kenosha’s rate also declined to 5.8 percent from 6.2 percent.

— Oak Creek stayed the same at 4.5 percent.

— Beloit, in the No. 2 spot among cities, saw its rate rise to 8.3 percent from 7.8 percent.

— Milwaukee’s rate dipped to 7.3 percent, from 7.7 percent, at No. 3 among cities.

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