Oneida County moves up in employment rates

By RALPH ANSAMI

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Many Wisconsin counties, including a few in the north, dipped under 3 percent unemployment for July, according to the latest figures from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

Oneida County stood at 2.9 percent for July, compared to 3.4 percent in June, and it improved from 40th to 26th in the state.

Iron County worsened from 5.1 percent in June to 5.2 percent in July and ranked 71st among the state’s 72 counties, trailed only by Menominee County at 7.7 percent.

Price County improved from 4.2 percent in June to 3.6 percent in July.

Ashland County went from 4.6 percent to 4.4 percent.

In Vilas County, the improvement was from 3.4 percent to 3.2 percent, according to the DWD.

The statewide jobless rate of 2.9 percent was better than the national rate of 3.9 percent.

The labor force of 3,183,000 was identical to June, according to DWD figures, but 2,000 more people joined the unemployment ranks.

Among major cities, Wausau had a 3.3 percent jobless rate in July and Superior was at 3.9 percent, which was better than the 4.3 percent of June.

DWD Secretary Raymond Allen said Wisconsin added 2,500 manufacturing jobs in July and that ranked third nationally and second in the Midwest.

He said Wisconsin’s unemployment claims ended 2017 at the lowest level since 1973.