Although Madison and other metropolitan areas across the state saw job gains in December 2009, employment went down from November to December in 2010 according to a report issued Wednesday by the Department of Workforce Development.
Compared to December 2009, eight metropolitan areas in Wisconsin experienced job gains in December 2010 while one area's job rate did not change at all. The Madison area gained 2,000 jobs and the Green Bay area gained 1,400, while the Milwaukee area lost 400 jobs.
However, eight metropolitan areas, including Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay experienced a slight negative net change in employment from November to December 2010.
As of December, Wisconsin's unemployment rate decreased from 8.5 percent to 7.5 percent from the prior year. The unemployment rate in Wisconsin is almost two points below that of the national average, sitting at 9.4 percent.
Dane County still has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in the state at 4.6 percent. At the moment, Vilas County and Menominee County have the highest unemployment rates in Wisconsin at 11 percent and 11.2 percent respectively.
However Manny Perez, the secretary of the Department of Workforce Development, said he is optimistic.
""The latest numbers underscore the importance of advancing Governor Walker's agenda to improve our state's business climate, allowing the private sector to create jobs,"" Perez said.
