Unemployment rates in Wisconsin continue to climb, now surpassing 9 percent, according to a report released Thursday by the Department of Workforce Development.
During March, the state’s unemployment rate reached 9.4 percent, up 0.6 percent from February, totaling 265,900 people currently unemployed in the state.
The state’s rate also climbed above the national average of 9 percent. This is the first time this year the state’s unemployment rate is higher than the country’s.
This month’s rate is 4.4 percentage points higher than the same time last year, with the national rate being 3.8 percentage points higher than reported in March of 2008, according to the DWD.
Since February, non-farm jobs in the state decreased by 8,700, which is lower than the 19,400 jobs lost between January and February. Goods producers lost 10,700 jobs, although service producers gained 2,000 jobs in March, according to the DWD.
Since the beginning of 2009, non-farm jobs in the state have decreased by 112,400. Throughout the year, goods producers lost 64,000 jobs, mostly in the manufacturing sector, while service sector jobs declined by 47,800, according to the DWD.
To help combat unemployment issues in the state, the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance unanimously approved $38 million of funds received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for job training programs throughout the state during its executive session Thursday.
Of the total $38 million, $9.6 million will go toward dislocated worker training, $4.4 million for adult employment training, $11.7 million for youth programs, and $5 million in federal vocational rehabilitation funding will go toward helping provide employment services to individuals with disabilities, both youth and adults.
The state also received $7.29 million in federal Wagner-Peyser funding for re-employment services, according to a statement from Gov. Jim Doyle.
According to the DWD, the funds will be distributed throughout the state’s 11 workforce investment areas by each area’s workforce development board to help improve the state’s economy.
Although the Joint Committee on Finance unanimously approved the governor’s request to distribute the federal stimulus funds throughout the state, committee member Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, said he was skeptical the money would be able to benefit the state in any positive way.
According to Vos, the benefits of the plan will be offset by the “job-killing taxes” included in the budget.
“I don’t think it will have the huge monumental impact others think it will,” Vos said. “What we did today was positive, but when you balance it off with what else we did, it wasn’t as positive.”
Center on Wisconsin Strategy Research Director Laura Dresser said job training programs in the state are often strong and have a broad reach to all areas of the population. However, she warned communities should not depend only on the programs to create jobs.
“It can’t be the only solution, because it doesn’t matter if you train them if there’s not jobs on the other side,” Dresser said.
