Wisconsin added 9,100 private sector jobs in July and the state’s unemployment rate remained 2.9 percent, according to federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by the state Department of Workforce Development.
An increase of 2,800 jobs in leisure and hospitality, 2,400 in durable goods manufacturing and 2,300 in education and health services helped drive the increase. Professional and business services was the only sector with a decrease in employment, down 1,300. Government employment was also down 400.
The state’s labor force participation rate remained unchanged at 68.9 percent. The number of people classified as unemployed increased 1,800 to 92,900. Overall employment decreased 2,000.
According to the latest data, the state added 28,400 private sector jobs during the first half of 2018. The state has added 38,500 private sector jobs from July 2017 to July 2018, according to the DWD release. That includes the addition of 21,300 manufacturing jobs over that period of time.