How many jobs were added in Wisconsin last month?
Refreshed monthly
Wisconsin gained 11,800 jobs in August 2026, ranking it third 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 2,600 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+11.8K
month to month change in number of jobs (August 2026)
3rd
rank among states in monthly job growth (August 2026)
August 2026's gain of 11,800 jobs was the 5th consecutive month of positive job growth in Wisconsin. Monthly job growth was up from the 3,800 new jobs in July 2026.
During the latest five year period (September 2021 to August 2026), Wisconsin gained jobs in 38 out of 60 months. August 2026 had the fourth-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 11,800 more jobs in August 2026 in Wisconsin than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, September 2021–August 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Wisconsin sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in August 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in August 2026 were local government, construction, and health care and social assistance. Local government added 6,100 jobs, more than the entire economy. Construction gained 2,800 jobs, while health care and social assistance added 2,800. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were non-durable goods, wholesale trade, and information. non-durable goods lost 1,000 jobs in August 2026, while wholesale trade lost 800 jobs and information lost 600 jobs.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 2,800 jobs during August 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Wisconsin (August 2026)
How has Wisconsin's job growth changed over time?
In 2025, Wisconsin lost an average of 1,583 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 1,058, and the fourth-lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as 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 5,800 on average every month in 2022.
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 August 2026 ranged from a loss of 400 jobs in the Eau Claire, WI area to a gain of 1,400 jobs in the Milwaukee, WI 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. | +1,400 | |
| 2. | +500 | |
| 3. | +400 | |
| 4. | +300 | |
| 5. | +200 | |
| 6. | +200 | |
| 7. | +200 | |
| 8. | +100 | |
| 9. | +0 | |
| 10. | -100 |
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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.
