Wisconsin's Unemployment Rate Jumps to 7.6%

According to the Milwaukee Business Journal Wisconsin's unemployment rate surged in January to 7.6%--This is up 1.8 percentages points from December, 2008---And as you can see in the chart below, significantly higher than the 4.4% unemployment rate that Wisconsin saw in January 2008.

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“The jump in Wisconsin’s unemployment rate underscores the economic challenges we face as a nation and why we are taking strong action through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to put people to work,” Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman said. “In his budget, Governor Doyle has set a path for recovery, and here at DWD, we will do our part to help provide training and connect skilled workers with employers.”