Counties in six-month stretch of improving employment conditions Green Bay cited for increase in jobs News-Chronicle First, the bad news: July's unemployment rate for the city of Green Bay is ninth highest among a list of 28 Wisconsin cities. Now, the good news: The city has experienced an increase in jobs over the last year. Data from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development shows Green Bay gained 6,800 jobs in the last year. Green Bay's unemployment rate is 6.6 percent, an improvement from the rate a year ago, which was 8.3 percent. Racine has the highest unemployment rate of 12.5 percent. Madison has the lowest unemployment rate at 2.7 percent. Turning to unemployment at the county level, the department reported this week that July unemployment rates in 66 of the state's 72 counties were lower than rates in July 2003. For six months, counties have been reporting lower unemployment rates. Brown County, with an unemployment rate of 4 percent, ranks 49th in a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates. The county is among 28 with unemployment rates at or below 4 percent; the state's unemployment rate is 4.6 percent. The United States has a higher unemployment rate of 5.7 percent. The lowest unemployment rates for July were found in Buffalo, Dane and Ozaukee counties, ranging from 2.4 to 2.9 percent. Racine, Juneau, Oconto and Rock counties had unemployment rates between 7.2 and 7.9 percent, while Menominee County's unemployment rate was the highest at 11 percent. Department of Workforce Development secretary Roberta Gassman said 145,000 state residents remain unemployed. The largest concentration of them is in the southeastern corner of the state, while the lowest concentration of unemployed residents is in the south-central region.