How many jobs were added in Wisconsin last month?
Refreshed monthly
Wisconsin gained 8,700 jobs in May 2026, ranking it sixth among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 2,500 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+8.7K
month to month change in number of jobs (May 2026)
6th
rank among states in monthly job growth (May 2026)
May 2026's gain of 8,700 jobs was the second consecutive month of positive job growth in Wisconsin. Monthly job growth was down from the 11,300 new jobs in April 2026.
During the latest five year period (June 2021 to May 2026), Wisconsin gained jobs in 37 out of 60 months. May 2026 had the ninth-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in July 2022 (+18,900) while job growth was weakest in February 2026 (-10,000).
There were 8,700 more jobs in May 2026 in Wisconsin than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, June 2021–May 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Wisconsin sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in May 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in May 2026 were construction, arts, entertainment, and recreation, and non-durable goods. Construction added 2,900 jobs, more than the entire economy. Arts, entertainment, and recreation gained 2,000 jobs, while non-durable goods added 1,600 jobs. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 1,400 jobs during May 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Wisconsin (May 2026)
How does Wisconsin's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?
In 2025, Wisconsin lost an average of 1,600 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 1,100, and the fourth-lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as the fourth-lowest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 10,200 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 3,800 on average every month in 2014.
In 2025, Wisconsin lost an average of 1,600 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among 13 metro areas primarily in Wisconsin during May 2026 ranged from a loss of 200 jobs in the Oshkosh, WI area to a gain of 2,400 jobs in the Madison, WI area metro area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Wisconsin
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +2,400 | |
| 2. | +900 | |
| 3. | +800 | |
| 4. | +500 | |
| 5. | +500 | |
| 6. | +400 | |
| 7. | +300 | |
| 8. | +300 | |
| 9. | +200 | |
| 10. | +0 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
