Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics announce the latest U.S., State, and local unemployment rates and analysis.
U.S. State Local
(6/30/08) Per Wikipedia, the June 2008 Midwestern floods are on-going flooding events which have affected portions of the Midwest United States. After months of heavy precipitation a number of rivers overflowed their banks for several weeks at a time and broke through levees at numerous locations. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle declared a state of emergency in thirty counties on June 9 due to the flooding. FEMA inspectors have examined areas that suffered the most damage, as shown in this PDF map.
Per Wisconsin Emergency Management, residents in Adams, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, LaCrosse, Manitowoc, Marquette, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha and Winnebago Counties that sustained flood and/or tornado damage should register for federal disaster assistance.
CareerOneStop’s Disaster Recovery Services provides quick access to a range of employment and related resources for individuals and businesses impacted by floods and other recent disasters.
(06/24/08) The 2008 State Technology and Science Index looks at 77 unique indicators that are categorized into five major components: Research and Development Inputs, Risk Capital and Entrepreneurial Infrastructure, Human Capital Investment, Technology and Science Work Force, and Technology Concentration and Dynamism. It is one of the most comprehensive examinations of state technology and science assets ever compiled. The study was made possible in part through the generous support of Goodwin Procter LLP.
Complete rankings (including interactive tables and maps) for all fifty states are available here.
(5/22/08) The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released a new report regarding county employment and wages in Wisconsin. On an annual basis, the third quarter will be reviewed. Full PDF Article...
Of note from this issue:
(5/09/08) The Census Bureau, in partnership with Wisconsin, has released a detailed profile of older workers (age 55+). The report, using information from the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) program, highlights the age group, job gains and losses by industry, identifies industries in which older workers are concentrated, as well as job stability and earnings. These data are critical for businesses and planners as baby boomers continue to retire. Full PDF Article...
Some findings include:
(5/2/08) Newsweek: At first glance the latest jobs data don't seem encouraging. On Friday the U.S. Labor Department reported that the economy had a net loss of 20,000 jobs in April, the fourth consecutive month of declines. But there was some good news: the number was not nearly as high as many economists had expected and it was a significant improvement over the three previous months (when nearly 240,000 jobs were lost overall). Full Article...
(5/01/08) Without the enactment of comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level, legislators in 31 states have introduced 179 employment-related immigration bills during the first quarter of 2008, according to an April 24, 2008 report released by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Founded in 1975, the NCSL is a bipartisan organization that provides research and technical assistance on pressing state issues to legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. Full Article...
(4/29/08) JS Online: Search engine leader Google Inc. has leased 5,000 square feet of office space in downtown Madison, the Mountain View, Calif., company said Tuesday.
The office will focus on hardware and software systems design and will be led by a retired University of Wisconsin-Madison computer scientist and a graduate of the school's electrical engineering program, said Sunny Gettinger, a Google spokeswoman. It has been operating since October but will have a formal opening this fall, she said. Full Article...
The following topics have been moved to the Publications section, where they have become part of our permanent feature of popular workforce topics. Most of these items are from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
