Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Milwaukee rose 0.2 percentage points in September 2023 to 3.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points higher than the Wisconsin rate. The unemployment rate in Milwaukee peaked in April 2020 at 14.4% and is now 11.1 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.7% in April 2023, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.6 percentage points. You can also compare Milwaukee unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | September 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.8% | 0.0 | +0.3 |
| Wisconsin | 3.1% | +0.2 | 0.0 |
| Milwaukee | 3.3% | +0.2 | +0.2 |
Unemployment Rate: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Milwaukee peaked in April 2020 at 116,457. There are now 89,502 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 21,599 in April 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 5,356. Milwaukee employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | September 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 26,955 | +1,647 | +1,597 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Wisconsin Unemployment Rate |
Milwaukee Unemployment Rate |
Milwaukee Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2023 |
3.9% | 3.2% | — | — |
| September 2023 |
3.8% | 3.1% | 3.3% | 26,955 |
| August 2023 |
3.8% | 2.9% | 3.1% | 25,308 |
| July 2023 |
3.5% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 23,393 |
| June 2023 |
3.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 22,668 |
| May 2023 |
3.7% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 22,056 |
| April 2023 |
3.4% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 21,599 |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 22,248 |
| February 2023 |
3.6% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 23,403 |
| January 2023 |
3.4% | 2.9% | 3.0% | 24,285 |
| December 2022 |
3.5% | 3.0% | 3.1% | 25,016 |
| November 2022 |
3.6% | 3.0% | 3.1% | 25,066 |
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. ↩
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