If you’re like us, the blizzard of numbers that come in news reports about the economy can be bewildering. In particular, unemployment statistics are updated monthly, sometimes get adjusted, and constantly fluctuate. For nearly a decade, these numbers told a pretty positive story about the Chippewa Valley, Wisconsin, and the nation as a whole, with the economy expanding and unemployment steadily dropping.

Unfortunately, that trend reversed this spring as the coronavirus-driven economic shutdown led to widespread layoffs and furloughs, turning what were some of the best unemployment statistics in decades into some of the worst. Here are some of the latest and most relevant statistics about the labor force and the unemployment rate from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (dwd.wisconsin.gov).

Note: The Eau Claire metro area is composed of all of Eau Claire and Chippewa counties.