• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Janesville job loss among worst

JANESVILLE — The Janesville area ranks among the worst in the nation in jobs lost over the last year, shedding 3.1 percent of its non-farm workers, according to a report from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But Doug Venable, Janesville economic development director, warned that it’s a mistake to get too worked up over one month’s data.

The 3.1 percent drop in local non-farm jobs compares the 69,500 jobs in June 2008 to 71,700 jobs in June 2007.

Venable said it’s best to look at the numbers in the long term. The labor statistics bureau might have surveyed employers on a day the General Motors plant in Janesville was down for inventory adjustment, he said.

“It could depend on if they happened to call and grab the information when GM was down for a week,” Venable said. “We get those kind of blips periodically.”

The local workforce numbers tend to spike in June and July, according to historical labor statistics. That could be because the agricultural industry spurs summer jobs and because students are out of school and working for the summer, Venable said.

The trend normally levels out until fall and drops in the winter.

So far in 2008, the numbers have followed that trend, but this summer’s peak so far is lower than in other years. The area had 72,200 non-farm jobs in June 2006, for example.

“The key is to not get too concerned over one month,” Venable said.

Venable expects August and September numbers will more accurately show what the Janesville workforce will look like with fewer workers at GM. The local GM plant ended second shift production June 27.

That was a loss of 852 jobs.

GM extended its normal two-week July shut down to four weeks. About 1,200 hourly employees returned to work Monday.

Janesville’s not alone. The state lost 17,800 jobs, according to the labor statistics bureau report.

Madison had the strongest improvement in the number of workers on payroll at 1.6 percent. Sheboygan was second to Janesville in job losses at 1.8 percent.

The state Department of Workforce Development has applied for $3.8 million in federal emergency grants to help workers looking for new jobs.

The federal emergency money could be used for just about anything related to finding new jobs—if the feds actually approve the grant, said Geoff Upperton with the Labor Education and Training Center at the Rock County Job Center.

The money can be used for training, books, childcare and travel as dislocated workers try to improve their skills to become more employable, he said.