Insights on Economic Activity

By DWD Economist Eric Grosso

While most of the Midwestern states’ job bases were more severely affected than the nation by the recession, this region has been having a better 2010 than the nation in terms of a recovering job market.

A key reason has been the manufacturing sector’s slowly improving numbers that are aiding Wisconsin and its neighboring states’ faster, overall job growth. While manufacturing employment losses accounted for a large share of overall job loss from the beginning of the recession to late 2009, since then manufacturing jobs started showing some bounce.

In 2010 through July, Wisconsin has outpaced the country and the other Midwest states of Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan and Illinois in net job growth.