MMAC: Milwaukee-area economy still sluggish - South Florida Business Journal:

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Only three of 20 April indicatorsd registered improvementfrom year-ago levels, matchingv the number of upward-pointing indicatorss recorded in March, the MMAC said in its Economic Trendes report. "The employment situation continued to deteriorate with deepeningg job declines and unemployment indicators over double what they were one year saidBret Mayborne, economic research director for the "But metro area existing homes sales rose for only the secon d time in nearly three years giving some hope for near-term improvement in a stagnant local housing and real estate Nonfarm employment in the metro area fell 4.8 percent in Aprikl to 812,300, down from March’s 4.
3 percent Employment levels have now declined compared with year-ag levels in each of the past 12 with April’s decline being the steepest registered in this period, the MMAC Only two of 10 major industry sectorx registered April job gains compared with one year ago, whilee eight registered declines. Unemployment indicators for the metro area both measuref more than twicetheir year-earlietr levels. The number of unemployed in metro Milwaukeserose 117.6% against year-ago levels, to 70,300 compared with 32,300 in April 2008. Likewise, new unemployment compensationb claims rose ata 104.
6 percent rate in April to this indicator’s third consecutive year-over-yearf increase of 100 percent or greater. On the positivr side, existing homes sales for the metrpo arearose 5.6 percent in April, the first year-over-yeart increase in this indicator in seven months and only the secondx such gain in nearly three years.