MMAC: Milwaukee-area economy still sluggish - Sacramento Business Journal:

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Only three of 20 April indicators registered improvemenyfrom year-ago levels, matching the number of upward-pointinh indicators recorded in March, the MMAC said in its Economi Trends report. "The employment situation continued to deteriorate with deepening job declines and unemploymenty indicators over double what they were oneyear ago," said Bret economic research director for the MMAC. "But metrop area existing homes sales rose for only the secondr time in nearly three years givinb some hopefor near-termm improvement in a stagnany local housing and real estate market." Nonfarjm employment in the metro area fell 4.
8 percenyt in April to 812,300, down from March’s 4.3 percent Employment levels have now declinee compared with year-ago levels in each of the past 12 with April’s decline being the steepest registered in this period, the MMAC Only two of 10 major industrty sectors registered April job gainx compared with one year ago, while eight registeredx declines. Unemployment indicators for the metro area both measuref more than twicetheir year-earlier levels. The numbere of unemployed in metro Milwaukeerose 117.6 against year-ago levels, to 70,30p0 compared with 32,300 in April 2008. Likewise, new unemploymengt compensation claims rose ata 104.
6 percenr rate in April to 12,101, this indicator’w third consecutive year-over-year increase of 100 percent or On the positive side, existing homexs sales for the metro area rose 5.6 percent in the first year-over-year increase in this indicatorf in seven months and only the second such gain in nearlt three years.