Fewer New Cars

A permanent decline in new vehicle registrations?

MADISON, Wis. - New vehicle registrations in Wisconsin are nearly half of what they were in 2000.

Registrations dropped 46 percent - a hit that's felt well beyond the state's auto dealerships.

Thousands of jobs have disappeared as auto plants and their suppliers deal with the fractured auto industry.

The auto statistics service Cross-Sell shows the number of new vehicles registered in Wisconsin in 2009 was nearly 172,000 - down from nearly 320,000 in 2000.

Since 2000, 107 auto dealerships have closed in Wisconsin, including 56 in 2008 and 2009.

The Journal Sentinel reports state employment in auto parts manufacturing fell 44 percent from 2000 to 2009. Parts factories such as Tower Automotive and Delphi in Milwaukee and Lear and SSI in Rock County closed.