Wisconsin unemployment rate drops to 7.3 percent

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has dropped to 7.3 percent for September.

That is down from 7.5 percent in August.

The state Department of Workforce Development reported the latest figures on Thursday.

The state added 1,500 private sector jobs for the month, based on the survey of roughly 3.5 percent of Wisconsin businesses. For the year, the state has added 4,100 private sector jobs.

Gov. Scott Walker promised to add 250,000 private sector jobs by 2015. Since he took office in January 2011 the state has added about 32,000 private sector jobs.

The numbers reported Thursday are subject to significant revision month to month. Walker’s administration has downplayed the significance of the numbers in favor of quarterly data based on a census of nearly all of the state’s businesses.