January 25, 2022
Summary
Wisconsin added 6,300 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage point to 2.8 percent in December, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released at 10:00am on January 25, 2022.
Over the past twelve months, Wisconsin added 67,200 payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 1.2 percentage points from 4 percent.
In December, Wisconsin’s private sector added 5,300 net private payroll jobs and over the past twelve months it added 63,300 private payroll jobs in the establishment survey.
In the household survey, the number of unemployed fell by 7,052 on net in December, and over the past year employment rose by 89,991.
Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 66.4 percent in December . Since last year, the labor force participation rate rose by 0.9 percentage point.
The national unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage point in December to 3.9 percent. State employment and unemployment data for January is scheduled for release March 14, 2022. The national employment situation report for January will be released February 04, 2022.
Wisconsin Payroll Employment
Wisconsin added 6,300 net payroll jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Wisconsin added 8,800 jobs. Over the past twelve months, Wisconsin added 67,200 payroll jobs, or 2.4 percent. Wisconsin nonfarm payroll employment had increased in 10 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 199,000 in December, or rose by 0.1 percent. Over the 12-month period ending with December, nonfarm payrolls rose by 6,448,000 jobs, or 4.5 percent. Wisconsin is tied for 39th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
During December, Wisconsin’s private-sector added 5,300 jobs, or approximately 0.2 percent. The private-sector in Wisconsin added 12,600 jobs in the prior month. Over the past twelve months, private-sector payrolls in Wisconsin added 63,300, or 2.6 percent. Wisconsin private-sector payroll employment has increased in 11 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private-sector payroll jobs rose by 211,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Over the past 12 months, the national payroll rose by 5,996,000 jobs in the private sector, or 5 percent. Wisconsin is tied for 43rd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for a percentage gain in private-sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Manufacturing (4,800) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (2,500). The poorest performing sectors during the month were Education and Health Services (-1,800) and Leisure and Hospitality (-1,900).
The best performing sectors during the last twelve months were Leisure and Hospitality (35,200) and Manufacturing (18,700). The poorest performing sectors during the last twelve months were Financial Activities (-1,300) and Education and Health Services (-8,600).
Wisconsin Labor Force Statistics
Labor Force Participation
The labor force participation rate in Wisconsin remained unchanged at 66.4 percent in December . At a labor force participation rate of 66.4 percent, Wisconsin ranks 10th in the nation. The labor force participation rate in Wisconsin rose by 0.9 percentage point from a year earlier. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Wisconsin was 68.8 percent in December 2011. The series high for the labor force participation rate in Wisconsin last occurred in December 1997 when the labor force participation rate hit 74.5 percent. The 10-year low for the labor force participation rate was 65.5 percent , last occurring in January 2021. The series low for the labor force participation rate in Wisconsin last occurred in April 1976 when the labor force participation rate hit 65.4 percent.
The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 61.9 percent in December. That rate rose by 0.4 percentage point from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national labor force participation rate was 67.3 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national labor force participation rate was 63.8 percent in October 2012. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 60.2 percent. The series low for the national labor force participation rate was 58.1 percent in December 1954.
Employment-to-Population Ratio
The employment-to-population ratio, or the percentage of the Wisconsin civilian noninstitutionalized population 16 years and older counted as employed, in December rose to 64.6 from 64.4 percent in the prior month. At 64.6 percent, Wisconsin ranks 9th among state employment-to-population ratios in the nation. The employment-to-population ratio in Wisconsin rose by 1.7 percentage points from a year earlier.
The 10-year high for the employment-to-population ratio in Wisconsin was 66 percent last occurring in July 2017. The series high for the employment-to-population ratio in Wisconsin last occurred in January 1998 when the employment-to-population ratio hit 72 percent. The 10-year low for the employment-to-population ratio was 56.1 percent in April 2020. This also represents the series low for the employment-to-population ratio in Wisconsin.
The national employment-to-population ratio rose by 0.2 percentage point over the month to 59.5 percent in December. That rate rose by 2.1 percentage points from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national employment-to-population rato was 64.7 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national employment-to-population ratio was 61.2 percent in February 2020. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 51.3 percent. The series low for the employment-to-population ratio was 51.3 percent in April 2020.