MacIver News Service | July 18, 2013
[Madison, Wisc…] Wisconsin gained 32,282 new private sector jobs from December 2011 to December 2012, which ranked 21st in the nation, according to a release from the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) on Thursday.This ranking is based on the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), the most accurate count of jobs data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is based on a census of 95-96 percent of employers in the state.
According to the DWD release, “Wisconsin’s total private sector job gain outpaces Iowa, and jumped 11 spots in percentage of private sector job growth to 33rd highest at 1.4 percent, higher than neighboring Illinois.”
Private employer wages are also up in Wisconsin. Wages in the private sector are up 6.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011 to the fourth quarter of 2012, an increase of $1.5 billion.
DWD Secretary Reggie Newson said the newly released jobs numbers are a positive sign for Wisconsin’s economy. “These economic indicators point to a trajectory of economic growth in Wisconsin under Governor Walker’s leadership, and we must do everything we can to maintain this positive momentum,” Newson said.
Governor Scott Walker’s first two years in office have seen 62,072 private sector jobs created, according to the revised QCEW data.
The press release from DWD can be seen here.