"The board recognizes the importance of the dividend to our shareholders. The increase in the dividend is consistent with our goal of growing the dividend 2-4 percent annually," Richard C. Kelly, chairman and CEO, said in a news release.

Xcel has operations in 8 Western and Midwestern states including Minnesota and Wisconsin.
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The July rate was 4.1 percentage points higher than the rate of 4.6 percent for Wisconsin in July of 2008. The national rate for July was unchanged from June's 9.7 percent, compared to 9.1 percent in May. The national rate for July is 3.7 percentage points higher than the 6.0 percent recorded in July 2008.

"While welcome, the rate decrease represents seasonal fluctuations,” Secretary Gassman said. “More economists believe the recession has run its course, but caution that employment numbers will lag behind the recovery. Our mission remains the same: DWD and its partners will continue to do all that we can to meet the needs of job seekers and employers during these challenging economic times.”

From June to July, total Wisconsin non-farm jobs decreased by an estimated 30,000 to 2,772,700. Goods Producers lost 800 jobs, while Service Producers lost 29,200 jobs over the month. The decline in Service Producers was driven by local government, which lost 31,400 jobs. This is a seasonal occurrence that happens during this time of year as schools, a function of local government, recess for the summer. Among Goods Producers, Construction jobs increased 1,500 over the month, while Manufacturing jobs decreased 2,300.

Over the year, July 2009 showed a decline of 114,000 Wisconsin non-farm jobs. Goods Producers were down 71,500, mostly in Manufacturing, which was down 57,800. Service sector jobs declined 42,500 over the year, led by Professional & Business Services, which lost 20,100 jobs.

The July survey of Wisconsin households showed 3,500 fewer employed than in June, and 130,700 fewer employed than one year ago. Wisconsin's civilian labor force was down 19,300 to 3,126,400 in July, an increase of 200 over July 2008.

The seasonally adjusted Wisconsin unemployment rate for July 2009 was 9.0 percent, unchanged from June and up 0.1 percentage points from May 2009.

The national seasonally adjusted July 2009 rate was 9.4 percent. This compares to 9.5 percent in June 2009, and 9.4 percent in May 2009.

Total state employment was down 11,000 over the month and down 134,000 over the year.

Minnesota

Minnesota employers added 10,300 jobs in July, the state's first monthly employment gains since August 2008, according to figures released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

The state's unemployment rate fell 0.3 percent from June to a seasonally adjusted 8.1 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate in July was 9.4 percent.

"This is encouraging news, particularly because the job gains were widespread across industry sectors," said DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy. "We are hopeful that this is the beginning of an upward trend for our economy. As always, we continue our efforts to help businesses grow and to help people find jobs in Minnesota."

Eight of the state's 11 industry sectors gained employment during the month, led by leisure and hospitality, which added 3,900 jobs. Other gains were posted by government (up 2,800), manufacturing (up 1,700), professional and business services (up 1,700), education and health services (up 1,200), construction (up 700), logging and mining (up 200), and financial activities (up 100).

Job losses occurred in trade, transportation and utilities (down 1,300), information (down 500) and other services (down 200).

Over the past year, education and health services added 13,600 jobs and government added 6,000 jobs.

Jobs losses occurred over the past year in manufacturing (down 38,900), professional and business services (down 31,900), trade, transportation and utilities (down 20,600), construction (down 17,000), other services (down 3,900), financial activities (down 3,600), information (down 3,000), logging and mining (down 2,200), and leisure and hospitality (down 600).

In the state's Metropolitan Statistical Areas, over-the-year job losses occurred in the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (down 3.5 percent), Duluth-Superior MSA (down 4.4 percent), Rochester MSA (down 1.6 percent) and St. Cloud MSA (down 2.7 percent).

The agency also announced the results of its second quarter job vacancy survey, which showed 31,400 job vacancies in the state between April and June 2009, down 39.4 percent from the same period a year ago. The survey showed that there were 7.7 unemployed people for each vacancy statewide during the quarter. The survey also indicates that over 95 percent of Minnesota employers expect to increase or maintain current employment levels through the end of the year.
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“Wisconsin’s Biofuels Destiny: Food, fiber and forest products for the 21st century” will be produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council, NorthStar Economics, Rusk Prairie Consulting Group and the Lakes State chapter of TAPPI, the leading association for the worldwide pulp, paper, packaging and converting industries.

The conference will be held at UW-Stevens Point in the new Dreyfus University Center. Registration can be completed online at www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com Check the “Mark Your Calendar” column on the home page.

The dinner speaker on April 16 is Dr. Timothy Donohue, principal investigator and scientific director for the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. The center is one of three federally funded centers announced in 2007 by the U.S. Department of Energy; it will focus on ramping up production of cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels. Donohue is also director of the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative. Other speakers will be announced in coming weeks.

Four working sessions within the April 17 conference will focus on the economics of biofuels, the effects of bioenergy initiatives at the federal and state level, Wisconsin’s “green portfolio” and future carbon credits, and forest biomaterials. The April 16 agenda will focus on technical presentations and other issues of interest to members and guests of TAPPI.

“Unlocking the energy in non-edible plants, wood waste and other biomaterials is key to ending dependence on fossil fuels and creating new opportunities for Wisconsin,” said Tom Still, president of the Tech Council. “This conference is aimed at exhibiting best practices and introducing potential partners in business, academia and government.”

The Tech Council is the independent, non-profit and non-partisan science and technology adviser to the governor and the Legislature. NorthStar Economics is an economic consulting and research firm with clients in Wisconsin and nationally, including the Tech Council. The Rusk Prairie Consulting Consulting Group is led by a former Phillips Plastics executive who is also the former dean of the UW-Stout College of Technology, Engineering and Management.

The remodeled Dreyfus University Center opened early this year. This $23.7 million project added 40,000 square feet of space in the heart of the UW-Stevens Point campus, which is a center for studies in natural resources as well as the paper and pulp industry.

For more information on the conference, including sponsorship opportunities, contact Liz Katz at 608-442-7557 or lkatz@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com

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