(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s unemployment rate rose to 3.5% in March, below the national rate of 4.2%
The rate was up from 3.2% a year before while the number of nonfarm jobs in the state was down 17,200 year over year but up 1,200 from February.
The numbers were released two weeks after the February numbers were released as the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics caught up from a government shutdown.
The state’s labor force participation rate remained at 64.4% from February, ahead of the national 61.9% rate.
Wisconsin had 5,200 less manufacturing jobs than a year before but were up 6,600 construction jobs. The state was down 7,700 government jobs year over year with 4,500 less local government jobs, 1,100 less in the state government and 2,100 less federal government jobs.
Overall, the state now has 8,800 less people employed than a year before.
