Wisconsin added 4,500 private sector jobs in December

MADISON (AP) - Wisconsin has added 4,500 private sector jobs in December while the unemployment rate is holding steady at 6.6 percent.

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reported the figures Thursday.

• Click here to read the full report (PDF)

The unemployment rate is unchanged from November.

While private sector employment was up, local government jobs which includes those at schools, dropped by 3,800 last month.

The net number of new, non-farm jobs created in December is estimated to be 1,300.

The monthly numbers are subject to significant revision. They are based on a survey of just 3.5 percent of employers in the state.

Gov. Scott Walker says the more reliable measure is a quarterly survey of nearly every Wisconsin business. Its most recent data showed that Wisconsin ranked 42nd nationwide in private-sector job creation between June 2011 and June 2012.