Jobless Rate Dips Nicely In Langlade County

Langlade County posted a substantial 1.1 percent decline in the unemployment rate between August and September, among a leader in the northwoods region.

The state Department of Workforce Development released a new report Wednesday that reported that unemployment rates fell in all 72 counties. Rates ranged from a low of 4.3 percent in Pierce County to a high of 13.7 percent in Menominee County.

Langlade County’s rate was listed at 7.5 percent, just above the state average of 7.3 percent and substantially below the August figures of 8.6 percent. The rate a year ago was 8.4 percent.

Across the region , the lowest rate was reported in Shawano County at 6.7 percent, down from 7.2 percent a month earlier.

Oneida was next at 7.4 percent, down from 7.8 percent in August.

Vilas was tied with Langlade at 7.5 percent, down from 7.7 percent. Lincoln continued to lag at 8.2 percent, but it showed the biggest decrease in the area, down 1.2 percent from August.

Rates also fell in every one of the state’s 32 largest cities between August and September. Racine had the highest unemployment rate of any city at 10.7 percent followed by Beloit at 9.9 percent. Eau Claire was at 6.3 percent; Green Bay, 8 percent; Stevens Point, 7.2 percent; Superior, 5.4 percent; and Wausau, 8.6 percent. Lowest was Caledonia, 3.2 percent.

Statewide, the department reported a preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 7.3 percent in September, down from 7.5 percent in August and down from 7.4 percent in September 2011.

The rate remains below the national unemployment rate of 7.8 percent.