February 2026: Employment in Wisconsin Rebounds without Reshaping

By most headline measures, Wisconsin’s economy looks healthy. Employment levels have recovered from the depths of the pandemic and, in some cases, surpassed pre-pandemic levels. As of September 2025 (the latest data available), the state’s unemployment rate was 3.1%, significantly lower than the national rate of 4.4%. In September, the state had more non farm jobs (3,057,100) than at nearly any point on record, except for two summer months last year. Additionally, Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was 64.5%, compared with thenational rate of 62.4%.

Read the February 2026 Research Room here.