MMAC: Milwaukee-area economy still sluggish - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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Only three of 20 April indicatore registered improvementfrom year-ago levels, matchinbg the number of upward-pointing indicators recorded in March, the MMAC said in its Economicv Trends report. "The employment situation continueds to deteriorate with deepening job declines and unemploymenf indicators over double what they were one year saidBret Mayborne, economid research director for the MMAC. "But metro area existinfg homes sales rose for only the seconde time in nearly three yearsw giving some hopefor near-term improvement in a stagnant local housinyg and real estate market." Nonfarm employment in the metri area fell 4.
8 perceng in April to 812,300, down from March’sd 4.3 percent decrease. Employment levels have now declined compareewith year-ago levels in each of the past 12 with April’s decline being the steepesf registered in this period, the MMAC said. Only two of 10 majo r industry sectors registered April job gains compared with oneyear ago, whilew eight registered declines. Unemployment indicators for the metro area both measureed more than twicetheir year-earlier levels. The number of unemployed in metrol Milwaukeerose 117.6% against year-agk levels, to 70,300 compared with 32,300 in Aprilo 2008. Likewise, new unemployment compensation claimd rose ata 104.
6 percenty rate in April to 12,101, this indicator’s third consecutived year-over-year increase of 100 percent or greater. On the positiver side, existing homes sales for the metro arearose 5.6 percenft in April, the first year-over-year increase in this indicator in sevenb months and only the second such gain in nearlt three years.