Unemployment falls in August

MADISON (AP) - Wisconsin's unemployment rate dropped for the third month in a row in August.

Even so, the 8.4 percent rate reported Thursday by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development was much higher than a year ago. In August 2008 unemployment was just 4.6 percent.

Wisconsin's unemployment rate is 1.2 percentage points below the national rate for August of 9.6 percent.

The report shows 12,800 fewer people were employed in August than July and 118,600 fewer than a year ago.

During the three month decline, Wisconsin's unemployment rate has dropped from 9.2 percent in June to 8.8 percent in July and 8.4 percent for August.

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