Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Iron County regained the dubious distinction of having the worst unemployment rate in Wisconsin in March.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Iron County’s jobless rate shot up to 13.1 percent for March, compared with 12.6 percent in February.
A year ago, the rate was 13.8 percent in Iron County.
Bayfield County, which had the worst rate in the state in February, improved to third worst, improving from 13.1 percent to 12.3 percent.
The WDWD said rates improved or stayed the same in all but six of the state’s 72 counties.
The March 2014 rates ranged from 4.4 percent in Dane County to the 13.1 percent in Iron County.
Ashland County improved from 9.6 percent to 9.5 percent. The rate was 10.2 percent a year ago.
Vilas County had the fourth worst numbers in the state, increasing from 11.8 percent to 12.1 percent. A year ago it was 13.1 percent.
Price County didn’t change much, at 6.8 percent, compared to 6.9 percent in February.
Oneida County improved from 10.3 percent to 10.1 percent.
Unemployment rates decreased in all 12 metropolitan areas, except Racine, which had no change. The March 2014 rates ranged from 4.7 percent in metro Madison to 8.7 percent in Racine.
Last week, the WDWD released estimates that show Wisconsin’s preliminary unemployment rate dropped to 5.9 percent.