Wisconsin's Workforce Remains Strong

Hi, Scott Walker here.

When we took office our focus was to strengthen Wisconsin's workforce and help our businesses and employers meet their growing labor market needs.

Recent numbers released by the Department of Workforce Development show that Wisconsin added almost 11,000 private sector jobs in the month of June alone.

Wisconsin is working -- literally!

Wisconsin's unemployment rate holds steady at a 15-year low of 4.2 percent, while the national unemployment rate increased to 4.9 percent.

Our state was one of only ten states in the nation with a lower average annual unemployment rate in 2015 than in 2007 when the recession began. And, our labor force participation rate of 68.5 percent is significantly better than the national rate.

Total employment is hovering at record levels in the state, and we want to keep it that way.

As we approach the next budget we will continue to invest in programs, like Youth Apprenticeship, Dual Enrollment, Fast Forward, and Course options, to help our young people get a jump start on their career aspirations and provide them with the practical skills that they need to succeed in our workforce.

Source