JANESVILLE: Janesville saw an uptick in the unemployment rate in January, although state numbers show that the local labor force and the number of people employed here have grown in the last year. The state Department of Workforce Development released local employment data earlier this week, and the numbers show that the unemployment rate in Janesville climbed from 4 percent in December to 4.6 percent in January. It’s the first time in several months that area unemployment has risen above the 4 percent mark. During the same period, the unemployment rate in Beloit increased from 4.4 percent to 5.5 percent from December to January. The overall unemployment rate for all Rock County communities was 4.9 percent in January. For the same period, the state’s unemployment rate was 3.9 percent, and the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, according to state data.
A one-month snapshot comparison of state employment data for January 2016 and January 2017 shows that growth in the local workforce and the total number of people working outpaced the climb in the unemployment rate early this year. Compared to January 2016, the overall number of people actively working or seeking work in Janesville increased this year by 317 people, according to state employment figures. About 450 more people were actively employed in Janesville early this year than at the same time last year.
Janesville’s labor market shed about 100 jobs between December and January, but there were still about 55 fewer people who were considered unemployed in January than at the same time a year ago. The state figures are snapshots of monthly employment data and aren’t seasonally adjusted. But the latest figures show an employment picture that was largely unchanged compared to the late months of 2016. The Department of Workforce Development plans to release February employment data for local communities late next week.
