(AP) – Unemployment in Wisconsin dropped slightly to 8.8 percent in April, according to state figures released Thursday.
The rate was down from 9.4 percent in March, the state Department of Workforce Development said. The agency estimated about 17,000 more people had a job in April than in March.
Employment typically increases from March to April because seasonal work begins, said Eric Grosso, a DWD labor economist.
The construction industry, for example, added 6,100 jobs in April. The leisure and hospitality sector added 5,900 jobs, largely at resorts preparing for summer travelers, Grosso said.
Still, April’s unemployment rate was 4.6 percentage points higher than in April 2008.
The national unemployment rate in April was 8.6 percent, down from 9 percent in March but still nearly 4 percentage points higher than in April of last year.
