Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman announced today that Wisconsin’s unemployment rate for July was 8.7 percent, down 0.5 percentage points from June’s 9.2 percent and equal to May’s 8.7 percent. The July rate was 4.1 percentage points higher than the rate of 4.6 percent for Wisconsin in July of 2008.

“While welcome, the rate decrease represents seasonal fluctuations,” Secretary Gassman said. “More economists believe the recession has run its course, but caution that employment numbers will lag behind the recovery.”

In June, Crawford County’s unemployment rate was 9.5%. Grant County’s was 8.1%