Wisconsin added jobs in February from January for the first time since 2006, the state Department of Workforce Development announced Wednesday. Without any adjustments for seasonal factors, such as winter-related construction slowdowns or school holidays, the state added 4,800 jobs in the month, although it lost 95,000 from the same month a year earlier.
After seasonal adjustments, the state added a net 5,200 jobs in February - making it the second consecutive month of seasonally adjusted job gains.
The unemployment rate, after seasonal adjustments, held steady at 8.7% in February from January. Many economists prefer to look at seasonally adjusted figures because they give a clearer picture of month-to-month trends.
The largest gains were in construction, manufacturing, and administrative and support services, it said.
Wednesday's report was a rare instance of upbeat news in a state that was hard-hit by the recession.
"We are posting job gains that show Wisconsin is moving toward recovery out of the worst national economic downturn since the Great Depression," Department Secretary Roberta Gassman said in a statement.
