State Predicts 31,000 New Jobs In 2013

The Department of Revenue predicts Wisconsin will add a total of 31,000 jobs in 2013, saying the economy is growing at a “moderate” pace.

The prediction includes both private-sector and government jobs.

To put that number in context, it would be slightly less than the nearly 32,000 jobs Wisconsin added in 2012. In percentage terms, the Department of Revenue predicts employment will grow by just over 1 percent in 2013.

The report projects Wisconsin’s economy will grow slightly faster growth in 2014, adding about 40,000 jobs in an election year. If the economy grows at that clip, it would mean total job gains of about 120,000 in Governor Scott Walker’s first term – less than half the 250,000 Walker promised to help create.

The Department of Revenue predicts an unemployment rate of 6.9 percent this year, falling to 6.4 percent in 2014. The unemployment rate in June was 6.8 percent. The quarterly report cites national trends in making its predictions, saying the federal budget sequester is hindering the overall economy.