Wisconsin Unemployment Rate Drops Below Nat. Average

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s unemployment rate dropped to 8-point-5 percent 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 one hundred 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 one hundred forty one thousand people are awaiting payments.

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was below the national average of 11-point-1 percent and far down from the state’s high of 13-point-6 percent in April. Wisconsin added more than ninety-nine thousand private sector jobs in June.