MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin added nearly 37,500 private sector jobs between March 2011 and March 2012, though total job growth was only 1.1 percent because of government job losses, according to data released Thursday by Gov. Scott Walker's administration.
Another report also released Thursday by Walker's Department of Workforce Development showed the state lost 6,000 private sector jobs in July and the unemployment rate increased from 7 percent to 7.3 percent.
The divergent reports are derived from different surveys covering different periods of time. The quarterly report, covering January through March, is based on a census of 96 percent of Wisconsin businesses. The monthly report is based on a survey of just 3.5 percent of businesses and subject to great revisions. Only the monthly figures are seasonally adjusted to reflect normal changes in employment, such as dips in the winter months, which is why Walker's administration looks at the quarterly numbers in yearlong periods.
Walker has placed greater emphasis on the quarterly report, which economists have also said is a more accurate reflection of how many people are employed in the state.
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