Department of Numbers

Madison, Wisconsin Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Madison fell 0.1 percentage points in March 2023 to 1.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.6 percentage points lower than the Wisconsin rate. The unemployment rate in Madison peaked in April 2020 at 11.1% and is now 9.2 percentage points lower. You can also compare Madison unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate March 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.5% -0.1 -0.1
Wisconsin 2.5% -0.2 -0.3
Madison 1.9% -0.1 -0.3
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with March 2023 data as April metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Madison, Wisconsin, National

Madison, Wisconsin monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Madison, Wisconsin Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Madison peaked in April 2020 at 42,269. There are now 34,797 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area.

Unemployed Persons March 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Madison 7,472 -570 -1,053

Number of Unemployed Persons

Madison, Wisconsin Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Wisconsin
Unemployment Rate
Madison
Unemployment Rate
Madison
Unemployed
April
2023
3.4%
March
2023
3.5% 2.5% 1.9% 7,472
February
2023
3.6% 2.7% 2.0% 8,042
January
2023
3.4% 2.9% 2.2% 8,516
December
2022
3.5% 3.0% 2.2% 8,831
November
2022
3.6% 3.0% 2.2% 8,854
October
2022
3.7% 3.0% 2.3% 8,948
September
2022
3.5% 3.1% 2.3% 9,069
August
2022
3.7% 3.1% 2.3% 9,125
July
2022
3.5% 3.0% 2.3% 9,061
June
2022
3.6% 2.9% 2.3% 8,909
May
2022
3.6% 2.9% 2.2% 8,738

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers.