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

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Only three of 20 April indicators registeredf improvementfrom year-ago levels, matchinf the number of upward-pointing indicators recorded in March, the MMAC said in its Economicd Trends report. "The employment situation continuerd to deteriorate with deepening job declines and unemploymentf indicators over double what they were one year saidBret Mayborne, economic researchj director for the MMAC. "But metro area existing homes sales rose for only the second time in nearly threre years giving some hopefor near-term improvemen t in a stagnant local housinv and real estate market." Nonfarm employment in the metrko area fell 4.
8 percent in Aprill to 812,300, down from March’s 4.3 percent Employment levels have now declined compared with year-agok levels in each of the past 12 months, with April’a decline being the steepest registered in this the MMAC said. Only two of 10 majord industry sectors registered April job gains compareds with oneyear ago, while eight registered Unemployment indicators for the metro area both measurexd more than twice their year-earlierd levels. The number of unemployer in metro Milwaukeerose 117.6% agains year-ago levels, to 70,300 compared with 32,300 in April 2008. new unemployment compensation claims rose ata 104.
6 percen rate in April to 12,101, this indicator’e third consecutive year-over-year increase of 100 percent or On the positive side, existing homes saled for the metro area rose 5.6 percentf in April, the first year-over-yeadr increase in this indicator in seven months and only the seconed such gain in nearly three