MONROE — The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) recently announced new record-high 3,053,300 total nonfarm jobs in the state, according to January 2025 preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Included in that total, construction sector jobs increased 700, up 3,900 above year-ago levels.
Preliminary employment estimates for January 2025 showed Wisconsin’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked up to 3.2%, which is 0.8 percentage points below the national unemployment rate of 4.0%. The state’s labor force participation rate was unchanged at 65.9% in January while the national rate increased to 62.6%, marking Wisconsin’s participation rate 3.3 percentage points above the rest of the nation.
Calumet and Dane County were the top counties in the job market, with an unemployment rate of 2.5%, both up about 0.3% from last month and nearly a half a point from a year ago at the same time.
Green County saw its unemployment rise by 0.6% to 2.9% total. Lafayette County lost more than a full point, with the unemployment rate jumping from 2.3% to 3.4%, about middle of the pack in the state.
By the numbers:
● Place of Residence Data: Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was 3.2% in January, 0.8 percentage points below the national rate of 4.0%. Wisconsin’s labor force decreased by 1,200 over the month but is up 20,700 over the year. The number of people employed decreased 3,800 over the month to 3,082,900 employed, but up 10,600 over the year.
● Place of Work Data: Total nonfarm jobs increased 5,700 over the month and increased 20,900 over the year to 3,053,300 jobs, a new high.
Also recently released were the estimates of employment and unemployment statistics for metropolitan areas, major cities, and counties in Wisconsin for January 2025.
In brief, the nonseasonally adjusted data for Wisconsin shows:
● Metropolitan Statistical Areas: Preliminary January 2025 unemployment rates increased between 0.4 and 1.1 percentage points in all 13 metropolitan areas over the month; rates increased in all of the same areas over the year.
● Municipalities: Preliminary January 2025 unemployment rates stayed the same in one of Wisconsin’s 35 largest cities, Mequon, over the month; rates increased in the remaining 34 cities over the month. Rates increased in all 35 cities over the year.
● Counties: Preliminary January 2025 unemployment rates stayed the same in Menominee County over the month and increased in the remaining 71 counties over the month. Unemployment rates increased in all counties over the year, except Menominee County which stayed same.
Additional information about the data included in the release is available at Wisconomy.com.