WEDNESDAY, Nov. 29, 2006, 10:49 a.m.
By Joel Dresang
Deer hunters inflate jobless numbers

Initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits jumped to 23,000 last week, nearly double the new filings from the week before, according to a report this morning from the state Department of Workforce Development.

At play is a seasonal quirk in which some employers close shop to accommodate Thanksgiving and Wisconsin's gun deer hunting season. In the comparable week in 2005, Wisconsin had 22,105 workers filing initial unemployment claims. Through the first 47 weeks of the year, the state had 7.2% fewer applications than the same time last year.

New claims for unemployment are considered a leading indicator of trends for hiring and firing.