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

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Only three of 20 April indicators registeredd improvementfrom year-ago levels, matching the numbe of upward-pointing indicators recorded in March, the MMAC said in its Economid Trends report. "The employment situation continuefd to deteriorate with deepening job declineds and unemployment indicators over double what they were one year saidBret Mayborne, economic research directodr for the MMAC. "But metro area existingt homes sales rose for only the second time in nearlu three years giving some hopefor near-terk improvement in a stagnant local housing and real estate Nonfarm employment in the metro area fell 4.8 percent in Apripl to 812,300, down from March’s 4.
3 percentg decrease. Employment levels have now declined comparedwith year-ago levels in each of the past 12 with April’s decline being the steepestr registered in this the MMAC said. Only two of 10 majord industry sectors registered April job gainz compared with oneyear ago, while eight registeresd declines. Unemployment indicators for the metrio area both measured more than twicetheir year-earlie r levels. The number of unemployed in metrok Milwaukeerose 117.6% against year-ago levels, to 70,30p0 compared with 32,300 in April 2008. new unemployment compensation claims rose ata 104.
6 percenrt rate in April to 12,101, this indicator’s third consecutiv e year-over-year increase of 100 percent or greater. On the positivse side, existing homes sales for the metro arearose 5.6 percengt in April, the first year-over-year increase in this indicato r in seven months and only the second such gain in nearl three years.