Local employment picture improves

The state's Department of Workforce Development reported this morning that the unemployment rate for the Appleton-Oshkosh area fell in July to 4.1 percent, compared to 4.2 percent in June and 5.3 percent in July 2003.

The unemployment rate in Winnebago County came in at 3.9 percent (versus 4.6 and 5.0 percent).

Both rates are better than the state's (4.6 percent) and the country's (5.7 percent).

But beware of one thing: These figures are based on a survey of households, as opposed to a survey of employers.

According to the CNN/Money Web site, the household survey has been providing more favorable views of the strength of the economy than the survey of employer establishments, and many economists are not as optimistic.

Here's what CNN/Money has to say:

Unlike the establishment survey, the household survey includes farm workers, the self-employed, unpaid family workers, private household workers and people on unpaid leave among the employed -- possibly boosting its count.

The press release with these figures is here.