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Economy & jobs Statistics · Region

Unemployment rate in Wisconsin

1976 – 2025 · 50 data points 17 of 17 · Regions of United States Updated Oct 22, 2026

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 1976 – 2025

Unemployment rate, 1976 – 2025 percent · Wisconsin · United States · World
−1.2 pp since 2015
Wisconsin United States World

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1976 – 2025

Compared with Unemployment rate · percent
Wisconsin
3.2%
United States
3.6% · 2023
World
4.8%

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators

The series at a glance Wisconsin · 1976 – 2025
Latest value 3.2% · 2025
First value 5.6% · 1976
Highest 10.4% · 1982
Lowest 2.8% · 2022
Data points 50

By year

All years · 1976 – 2025

YearWisconsinChange United StatesWorld
2025 3.2% +0.2 pp — 4.8%
2024 3.0% +0.2 pp — 4.8%
2023 2.8% ±0.0 pp 3.6% 4.8%
2022 2.8% −1.0 pp 3.7% 5.2%
2021 3.8% −2.6 pp 5.4% 6.0%
2020 6.4% +3.2 pp 8.1% 6.6%
2019 3.2% +0.2 pp 3.7% 5.6%
2018 3.0% −0.3 pp 3.9% 5.8%
2017 3.3% −0.6 pp 4.4% 5.9%
2016 3.9% −0.5 pp 4.9% 6.0%
2015 4.4% −0.9 pp 5.3% 6.0%
2014 5.3% −1.4 pp 6.2% 6.0%
2013 6.7% −0.2 pp 5.3% 6.1%
2012 6.9% −0.6 pp 8.1% 6.2%
2011 7.5% −0.9 pp 9.0% 6.1%
2010 8.4% −0.4 pp 9.6% 6.3%
2009 8.8% +3.9 pp 9.3% 6.4%
2008 4.9% +0.1 pp 5.8% 5.8%
2007 4.8% +0.1 pp 4.6% 5.8%
2006 4.7% ±0.0 pp 4.6% 6.0%
2005 4.7% −0.3 pp 5.1% 6.2%
2004 5.0% −0.6 pp 5.5% 6.3%
2003 5.6% +0.3 pp 6.0% 6.5%
2002 5.3% +0.9 pp 5.8% 6.4%
2001 4.4% +1.0 pp 4.8% 6.2%
2000 3.4% +0.3 pp 4.0% 6.1%
1999 3.1% −0.2 pp 4.2% 6.3%
1998 3.3% −0.2 pp 4.5% 6.2%
1997 3.5% −0.1 pp 4.9% 6.0%
1996 3.6% −0.1 pp 5.4% 6.0%
1995 3.7% −0.6 pp 5.6% 5.9%
1994 4.3% −0.1 pp — 5.8%
1993 4.4% −0.7 pp — 5.5%
1992 5.1% −0.3 pp — 5.3%
1991 5.4% +1.0 pp — 5.1%
1990 4.4% +0.1 pp — —
1989 4.3% −0.1 pp — —
1988 4.4% −1.3 pp — —
1987 5.7% −1.1 pp — —
1986 6.8% −0.4 pp — —
1985 7.2% −0.1 pp — —
1984 7.3% −2.6 pp — —
1983 9.9% −0.5 pp — —
1982 10.4% +2.5 pp — —
1981 7.9% +0.6 pp — —
1980 7.3% +2.8 pp — —
1979 4.5% −0.4 pp — —
1978 4.9% −0.2 pp — —
1977 5.1% −0.5 pp — —
1976 5.6% — —

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1976 – 2025

Ranking · Regions of United States

2020 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUnemployment rate
17 Utah 4.8%
16 Idaho 5.5%
15 Missouri 6.1%
14 Wisconsin 6.4%
13 Kentucky 6.5%
12 Indiana 7.3%
11 Tennessee 7.4%
10 Texas 7.7%
9 Arizona 7.8%
8 Florida 8.0%
7 Ohio 8.2%
6 Washington 8.7%
5 Illinois 9.3%
4 New Jersey 9.5%
3 New York 9.8%
2 Michigan 10.0%
1 California 10.1%

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2020

What it means

The share of people who want a job and are looking for one but do not have one.

How it is calculated

Unemployed people divided by the labour force (employed plus unemployed), following the international definition; annual average.