The latest monthly change came as large numbers of high school and college students and graduates entered the labor market at the beginning of the summer. Average growth for the period would have been about 76,600. It also helped to push the total number of persons working or looking for work in Wisconsin to 3,025,900 and above the 3.0 million mark for the first time ever. At the same time, the historically low rates we're seeing recently encourage those looking for work to remain active in the labor market. They continued to find jobs in large numbers last month.
Unemployment always increases at the beginning of summer.
The increase this June should be largely absorbed by additional hiring as the summer expansion continues. Hagen said the state's job market remains better for jobseekers than even a year ago and when compared to the U.S. this June. The state's jobless rate was 3.8 per cent last June, while the U.S. jobless rate this June was 4.5 per cent. The U.S. rate also rose nearly as much as Wisconsin's rate over the month, from 4.3 in mid-May, he said. We've seen that same impact other times this year.