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

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Only three of 20 April indicatorw registered improvementfrom year-ago levels, matching the number of upward-pointing indicators recorded in March, the MMAC said in its Economid Trends report. "The employment situatiob continued to deteriorate with deepening job declines and unemployment indicators over double what they were oneyear ago," said Bret economic research director for the MMAC. "But metro area existint homes sales rose for only the second time in nearly three years giving some hopefor near-terjm improvement in a stagnant local housinyg and real estate market." Nonfarmj employment in the metr area fell 4.8 percent in April to down from March’s 4.
3 percent decrease. Employmengt levels have now declined comparedwith year-aglo levels in each of the past 12 with April’s decline being the steepesgt registered in this period, the MMAC said. Only two of 10 majo r industry sectors registered April job gainas compared with oneyear ago, while eighy registered declines. Unemployment indicators for the metro area both measuredx more than twicetheit year-earlier levels. The numbere of unemployed in metro Milwaukeerose 117.6% against year-ago levels, to 70,300 compared with 32,300 in Aprilp 2008. Likewise, new unemployment compensation claims rose ata 104.
6 percentt rate in April to 12,101, this indicator’x third consecutive year-over-year increase of 100 percent or greater. On the positivwe side, existing homes sales for the metro arearose 5.6 percentg in April, the first year-over-year increase in this indicato in seven months and only the seconrd such gain in nearly three years.