From September 2013 to September 2014, Wisconsin’s economy added 27,491 private-sector jobs, according to the latest Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). The rate of job growth for the period was 1.16%, dropping the state to 38th (essentially tied with Vermont and Iowa) in the nation. Among Midwestern states, which include Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Iowa, Wisconsin tied for last place in job creation over the 12-month span. Michigan, which currently has the highest unemployment rate in the Midwest at 6.3%, experienced the most robust job growth (2.02%).
In the previous QCEW report, which covered the period from June 2013 to June 2014, Wisconsin ranked 31st in the nation in job creation, with 36,732 jobs added.
The state continues to lag behind national averages in the creation of retail, construction, health care/social services, and leisure and hospitality jobs.
The quarterly QCEW is considered much more accurate than the BLS’s monthly employment reports because it compiles data from 96% of public and private employers, whereas the monthly numbers are based on data from just 3.5% of employers.
