Table 9 Unemployment Claims - Portage, Marathon, and Wood Counties (First Quarter 2026) Portage Marathon Wood Weekly Average 2026 Q1 % ∆ Yr. Ago Weekly Average 2026 Q1 % ∆ Yr. Ago Weekly Average 2026 Q1 % ∆ Yr. Ago
New Claims Total Claims
74
34.5% 16.4%
120 631
-4.0% 12.3%
82
-2.4% 27.9%
441
518
Description: • New Claims: Weekly average of new claims for First Quarter 2026 • Total Claims: Weekly average of total claims for First Quarter 2026 Analysis: • Initial claims for unemployment insurance are often a good leading economic indicator in predicting changes in consumption spending • The weekly average number of new claims has been stable for Marathon and Wood counties, indicating declining layoffs. • Weekly average claims have increased for Portage County by 34.5%. • The weekly average of toral claims, however, has increased in all three counties, suggesting a softening labor market with those who are unemployed having a more difficult time finding a new job.
Table 10 County Sales Tax Distribution (First Quarter 2026) Portage Marathon
Wood
2026 Q1 (x1000) $2,270.63
% ∆ Yr. Ago
2026 Q1 (x1000)
% ∆ Yr. Ago
2026 Q1 (x1000)
% ∆ Yr. Ago -1.7%
County Sales Tax Distribution
-4.1% $4,434.43
2.6% $2,101.97
Description: • Tax collections in thousands of dollars. • The county sales tax rate of 0.5% is placed on retailers that make taxable sales. • Changes in county tax collections is a good indicator of changes in retail activity in Central Wisconsin. Analysis: • County sales tax collections have been relatively stable in the Central Wisconsin region over the last year.
Central Wisconsin Report - Spring 2026
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