Preliminary numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show Wisconsin gaining 4,500 private-sector jobs in December but losing 3,200 government jobs, for a net gain of 1,300 jobs. The unemployment rate tied November’s at 6.6%. (November’s rate was revised downward, from 6.7% to 6.6%.) The unemployment rate now is the lowest it’s been since December 2008.
The numbers are very preliminary because they are gathered from just 5,500 (3.5%) of the state’s employers and will likely be revised. The most accurate jobs report comes out later in the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, which collects data from about 95% of state employers.
