http://www.jsonline.com/business/wisconsin-job-creation-rank-falls-to-38th-in-us-b99464770z1-296876421.html
Wisconsin's pace of job creation, which has lagged the national rate for years, fell further behind in the latest quarterly data while landing the Badger State in the bottom tier of its peer Midwestern states.
Thursday's release of the most accurate employment data available raises questions about the strength of Wisconsin's economic recovery, said Charles Franklin, a social scientist and data specialist at Marquette University Law School.
"Our job creation has slipped a little bit more relative to other states, and that's a source of some concern at a time when the national economy is growing at stronger rates," said Franklin, who routinely analyzes Wisconsin's employment data in order to interpret statewide public opinion polls that he carries out for Marquette's law school.
Wisconsin gained 27,491 private-sector jobs in the 12 months from September 2013 through September 2014, a 1.16% increase that gives Wisconsin a rank of 40th among the 50 states in the pace of job creation in that period. But the differences between Wisconsin, Vermont and Iowa were so fractional that the three states effectively tied at a rank of 38th.
Either way, the state's national ranking fell from a revised rank of 31st three months earlier, in the previous release of quarterly jobs data, which covered the 12 months through June 2014. In that period, Wisconsin created 36,732 private-sector jobs.
Wisconsin continued to trail the national rate of job creation, as it has continuously since July 2011. The United States created private-sector jobs at a rate of 2.3% in the latest 12-month period, twice Wisconsin's 1.16% rate, the data show.
"Given the historical relationship of employment in Wisconsin versus the nation, I would have expected Wisconsin growth to be faster," said Menzie Chinn, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Among its peer states in the Midwest, Wisconsin tied with Iowa for last place. Both states created private-sector jobs at a 1.16% rate.
The bloc of Midwestern states, which share similar economies of factory cities and farm towns, often benchmark against each other. In the latest period, Michigan and Indiana led that group of states with 2.02% and 1.64% growth, respectively. Minnesota was just ahead of Wisconsin at 1.2%.
A breakdown of Thursday's numbers show Wisconsin trailed the nation's job-creation average among retailers, a sector that includes cashiers and clerks, as well as construction and a combined sector called health care and social services. In the leisure and hospitality sector, which includes wait staff, hotel clerks and baristas, Wisconsin lost jobs while the nation added them at a 2.6% pace.
Wisconsin effectively tied the nation in the pace of new manufacturing jobs.
Wisconsin's pace of job creation, which has lagged the national rate for years, fell further behind in the latest quarterly data while landing the Badger State in the bottom tier of its peer Midwestern states.
Thursday's release of the most accurate employment data available raises questions about the strength of Wisconsin's economic recovery, said Charles Franklin, a social scientist and data specialist at Marquette University Law School.
"Our job creation has slipped a little bit more relative to other states, and that's a source of some concern at a time when the national economy is growing at stronger rates," said Franklin, who routinely analyzes Wisconsin's employment data in order to interpret statewide public opinion polls that he carries out for Marquette's law school.
Wisconsin gained 27,491 private-sector jobs in the 12 months from September 2013 through September 2014, a 1.16% increase that gives Wisconsin a rank of 40th among the 50 states in the pace of job creation in that period. But the differences between Wisconsin, Vermont and Iowa were so fractional that the three states effectively tied at a rank of 38th.
Either way, the state's national ranking fell from a revised rank of 31st three months earlier, in the previous release of quarterly jobs data, which covered the 12 months through June 2014. In that period, Wisconsin created 36,732 private-sector jobs.
Wisconsin continued to trail the national rate of job creation, as it has continuously since July 2011. The United States created private-sector jobs at a rate of 2.3% in the latest 12-month period, twice Wisconsin's 1.16% rate, the data show.
"Given the historical relationship of employment in Wisconsin versus the nation, I would have expected Wisconsin growth to be faster," said Menzie Chinn, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Among its peer states in the Midwest, Wisconsin tied with Iowa for last place. Both states created private-sector jobs at a 1.16% rate.
The bloc of Midwestern states, which share similar economies of factory cities and farm towns, often benchmark against each other. In the latest period, Michigan and Indiana led that group of states with 2.02% and 1.64% growth, respectively. Minnesota was just ahead of Wisconsin at 1.2%.
A breakdown of Thursday's numbers show Wisconsin trailed the nation's job-creation average among retailers, a sector that includes cashiers and clerks, as well as construction and a combined sector called health care and social services. In the leisure and hospitality sector, which includes wait staff, hotel clerks and baristas, Wisconsin lost jobs while the nation added them at a 2.6% pace.
Wisconsin effectively tied the nation in the pace of new manufacturing jobs.
