Wisconsin Sees Jobs Gains In July, Though Summer Hiring Has Remained Flat Overall

The latest numbers from the state show Wisconsin added private-sector jobs last month, though hiring this summer has remained relatively flat.

The latest monthly survey of employers showed the state added 3,200 private-sector jobs in July, with most of the jobs added in the service industry. It was the first report since April to show private-sector job gains.

Monthly reports for all of 2014 show employers have added a total 11,400 private sector jobs through July, putting the state on its slowest hiring pace since Gov. Scott Walker took office. Combined with more accurate quarterly numbers from the federal government that run through 2013, they show Wisconsin has added 102,813 jobs since the beginning of 2011.

At the same time, the state’s unemployment rate went up slightly, from 5.7 percent to 5.8 percent. The unemployment rate comes from a separate monthly survey of households. Wisconsin’s rate still remains lower than the national rate of 6.2 percent.