The unemployment rate across Wisconsin increased 0.5 percentage points from November to December, according to a statement released Jan. 21 by the Department of Workforce Development.
As of December, Wisconsin's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.7 percent, less than the national figure. The national unemployment rate was 10.0 percent in both November and December.
""Wisconsin's unemployment rate remains below the national rate, yet we know many hardworking Wisconsin workers are still out of work because of the national economic downturn,"" Roberta Gassman, secretary of DWD, said in a statement.
Unemployment in Wisconsin is 2.8 percentage points higher than a year ago, when it was 5.9 percent. The national rate is up 2.6 percentage points from 7.4 percent a year ago.
The December survey of Wisconsin households indicates a significant decrease in employment, down 26,100 people from November and 163,000 from last year.
""We are committed to doing all that we can to help people gain employment and move the economy forward,"" Gassman said.
