Wisconsin’s modest pace of job creation continues
Wisconsin gained 23,963 private-sector jobs in the 12-month period between June 2012 and June 2013, a modest 1% increase, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The state ranks 37th among the 50 states in the pace of job creation during that period and had about half the 1.9% increase in private-sector jobs reported nationally.
The data comes from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, which is considered to be a more accurate barometer than monthly reports because it is based on a much larger sampling of employers. The census, which incorporates 96% of employers in the public and private sectors, tracks economic data in rolling 12-month increments, as measured every three months.
Wisconsin's record of job creation is likely to be one of the most debated issues of the 2014 gubernatorial campaign, as even some of Gov. Scott Walker's supporters acknowledge the state will fall way short of the 250,000 jobs he promised to create during his first term.
In a statement released following the jobs report, Walker said the QCEW also shows that Wisconsin ranked 25th in total private-sector jobs created in the second quarter of 2013, and he noted the state's unemployment rate of 6.5% is the lowest since 2008.
