Report: Wis. lost 6,200 jobs in April

AP Modified

Updated: May 17, 2012 9:28 PM

MADISON, Wis. — It's yet another mixed bag of news when it comes to jobs in Wisconsin.

The Department of Workforce Development released the numbers for April Thursday.

Click here to read the report

The new report comes just a day after the Walker administration released revised job numbers from last year.

It seems more people are back to work in Wisconsin.

At least that's what one survey from the state's Department of Workforce Development indicates.

Thursday, the DWD released reports from two separate surveys.

One survey of 1,400 homes, shows 6,800 more people were employed in April compared to March.

The report also showed the state's unemployment rate dropped slightly to 6.7 percent, a drop from 6.8 percent in March.

DWD officials say that is the lowest rate since 2008.

"Now we see the job numbers from the last year are up, we see unemployment continue to drop this past month, and we see plenty of good indicators for job growth and opportunities in the future," said Governor Scott Walker.

"Now we see again for the month of April, Wisconsin has lost jobs," said (D) Gubernatorial Nominee, Tom Barrett.

Barrett questions those numbers, especially since another survey paints a different picture of the state's economy.

A survey based on data from 3.5 percent of Wisconsin employers shows Wisconsin lost 6,200 private-sector jobs last month.

"If you look at the jobs numbers that are accepted by the state, the federal government and the media those jobs numbers tell you the state has lost jobs and that's why he's trying to muddy waters," Barrett said.  "He can't defend his jobs record."

The Governor is downplaying those numbers

He says the survey indicating the drop in unemployment paints a more accurate picture.

"I think that's a great sign for the future, positive news from the people of Wisconsin our reforms are working," Walker said.

On Wednesday, the DWD released a report from 160,000 employers.

That showed a net gain of more than 23,300 jobs.

The measurement was from December of 2010 to December of 2011.

Those numbers contradicted a previous report, saying Wisconsin lost more than 33,900 jobs from March of 2011 to March of 2012.

The DWD says the numbers released Thursday are preliminary, and are still subject to change.

Copyright 2013 AP Modified. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Political Pulse

We welcome your thoughtful comments. Be the first to participate in the discussion. All comments will display your username and avatar.