Region's jobless rate remains at 3.5 percent

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Dec 22, 2004 | by Cahalan, Steve

The La Crosse metropolitan area's unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in November, unchanged from October but down from 4.1 percent in November 2003, the Wisconsin Department of Work-force Development said Tuesday.

There was little change in local employment figures from October to November, said Bill Brockmiller, the department's regional labor market analyst in La Crosse.

The biggest gain was in retail employment.

The number of retail jobs in the area rose from about 9,500 in October to about 9,800 in November, and was up from about 9,100 in November 2003.

Retail employment usually increases in November because stores hire extra employees for the Christmas shopping season, Brockmiller said. The increase from November 2003 reflects the opening of new stores in the past year.

There were about 9,600 manufacturing jobs in the area in November, down from 9,800 in October. There also were 9,600 manufacturing jobs in November 2003.

The area's unemployment rate has declined in the past year because "We're seeing job growth in certain industries," Brockmiller said.

Besides growth in retail employment, the area has seen an increase in professional and business services employment in the past year, Brockmiller said. There were about 6,900 jobs in that category in November, down slightly from 7,000 in October but up from 6,200 in November 2003. The category includes jobs at such businesses as engineering, accounting, legal and printing firms, as well as temporary employment agencies.