Wisconsin unemployment rate drops, still double last year

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Wisconsin’s unemployment rate dropped from 8.6% in June to 7% in July, far below the national rate as the state and country continue to reel from massive job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

While Wisconsin’s jobless rate for July was below the 10.2% national rate, it was more than double the 3.4% from a year ago. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reported Thursday that Wisconsin added 25,000 private-sector jobs in July.

Department Secretary Caleb Frostman says that while the drop in unemployment rate is good news, Wisconsin remains down 216,000 private-sector jobs compared with a year ago.