The latest “gold standard” numbers from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics show Wisconsin continued to lag most of its Midwest neighbors and the nation as a whole in private sector job growth.
Wisconsin ranked 35th in the nation in private sector job growth in the one-year period ending in September of last year. Private sector jobs here grew by 1.2 percent compared to 2 percent at the national level.
By comparison, private sector jobs increased by 2.7 percent in Michigan, 1.9 percent in Minnesota and 1.6 percent in Iowa. Among neighboring states, only Illinois trailed Wisconsin, adding private sector jobs at a rate of 0.9 percent.
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The numbers come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, which economists say is the most detailed and accurate measure of job growth.
Wisconsin ranked 37th in the nation the last time these numbers were released. It ranked 44th in a similar report a year ago.
Marquette University economics professor Abdur Chowdhury says that compared to other states, Wisconsin does not fare well. “Things are not getting better the way we would like to see,” said Chowdhury. “From 37th to 35th I would say is just a marginal change.
Overall, the numbers show the state added 28,351 private sector jobs between September 2012 and September 2013.
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