Wisconsin’s unemployment rate drops to 8.5% in June

99,300 private sector jobs added in Wisconsin in June

MADISON, Wis.  — Wisconsin’s unemployment rate dropped to 8.5% in June.

That good news came Thursday as Democratic lawmakers released proposals to remove obstacles and broaden access to unemployment benefits and Gov. Tony Evers’ administration temporarily reassigned 100 state workers to help address a backlog in claims.

The Department of Workforce Development has struggled to process the claims of everyone seeking unemployment. Currently about 141,000 people were awaiting payments.

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was below the national average of 11.1% and far down from the state’s high of 13.6% in April.

Wisconsin added 99,300 private sector jobs in June.

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