Wisconsin unemployment rate drops to 7.3 percent - WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports

MADISON (WKOW) -- State officials released the latest unemployment figures on Thursday, showing positive numbers for September.

The state Department of Workforce Development is reporting Wisconsin's unemployment rate has dropped to 7.3 percent for September. That's down from 7.5 percent in August.

The rate remains below the national unemployment rate of 7.8 percent.

A survey of roughly 3.5 percent of Wisconsin businesses shows the state added 1,500 private sector jobs for the month. For the year, the state has added 4,100 private sector jobs.

Since Governor Scott Walker took office in January 2011, the state has added about 32,000 private sector jobs. Walker promised to add 250,000 private sector jobs by 2015.

The numbers reported Thursday are subject to significant revision month to month. Walker's administration has downplayed the significance of the numbers in favor of quarterly data based on a census of nearly all of the state's businesses.