Recent Northwoods unemployment numbers find joblessness here remains stubbornly high compared to other parts of the state.
The February rates find some 'good news-bad news" for Iron county, where the rate is fifth-highest in the state at 10.7 percent. That's about one percentage point lower than one year ago. Vilas county is sixth highest at 10.3 percent, Forest county is eighth highest at 9.4 percent, Oneida county is at 8.4 percent, Langlade 7.7 percent, Lincoln at 6.5 percent and Price county at 5.8 percent.
State economist Scott Hodek says the unemployment rate went up in February for most of Wisconsin. He says that is considered normal as holiday employment ends prior to warmer weather hiring. He says changes in Northwoods rates might have something to do with an older demographic...
"....part of what we're seeing there is we're probably seeing people in the retirement age in the unemployed pool just dropping out and retiring. That could explain some of that...."
The Madison area had the lowest rate at 3.6 percent. Marathon county is at 4.9 percent.
