MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development recently released U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates of employment and unemployment statistics for metropolitan areas, major cities, and counties in Wisconsin for March 2025. Full information can be accessed at Wisconomy.com.

Dane County led the state with the lowest unemployment rate at just 2.6%, down one-tenth of a percent from a month ago. Green County dropped from 3.1% to 2.9% over the prior month, while Lafayette bounced back from 3.8% in February to 3.3% in March.

In brief, the nonseasonally adjusted data for Wisconsin shows:

●  Metropolitan Statistical Areas: Preliminary March 2025 unemployment rates decreased in 11 of the 13 metropolitan areas over the month, remained the same in Milwaukee- Waukesha, and increased in Eau Claire. The unemployment rates increased in 12 metropolitan areas and remained the same in one metropolitan area over the year.

●  Municipalities: Preliminary March 2025 unemployment rates stayed the same in 12 of Wisconsin’s 35 largest cities over the month. Rates decreased in 19 cities and increased in four cities over the month. Rates increased in 23 cities over the year, remained the same in five cities, and decreased in seven cities.

●  Counties: Preliminary March 2025 unemployment rates decreased in 54 counties over the month, stayed the same in seven counties, and increased in the remaining 11 counties. Sawyer County reached a historic low unemployment rate of 5.2 percentage points in March. Unemployment rates decreased in four counties over the year, stayed the same in 11 counties, and increased in the remaining 57 counties.

It was also released that there were 3,055,200 total nonfarm jobs in the state, according to March 2025 preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Preliminary employment estimates for March 2025 showed Wisconsin’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.2% over last month, which is 1.0 percentage points below the national unemployment rate of 4.2%. The state’s labor force participation rate ticked down to 65.6% in March while the national rate increased to 62.5%, marking Wisconsin’s participation rate 3.1 percentage points above the rest of the nation.

●  Place of Residence Data: Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was 3.2% in March, 1.0 percentage points below the national rate of 4.2%. Wisconsin’s labor force decreased by 5,000 over the month but is up 8,200 over the year. The number of people employed decreased 5,600 over the month to 3,071,900 employed and is down 3,100 over the year.

●  Place of Work Data: Total nonfarm jobs increased 10,000 over the month and increased 15,000 over the year to 3,055,200 jobs.