MADISON (WKOW) — The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) reported a record 3,053,300 total nonfarm jobs in January 2025, based on preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to a news release from DWD, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.2%. That rate is still 0.8 percentage points below the national unemployment rate, which is 4.0%. The state’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 65.9%, which is also better than the national rate of 62.6%.
Construction jobs in Wisconsin increased by 700 in January and are up 3,900 in comparison to 2024. Overall, nonfarm jobs increased month-over-month by 5,700 and year-over-year by 20,900.
Wisconsin’s labor force decreased by 1,200 people over the month, but it grew by 20,700 over the past year. Likewise, the number of people employed decreased by 3,800 in January but increased by 10,600 from the previous year.
