Dane County, WI jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meDane County economy
2.5%
unemployment, Sep 2026
2.3% the month before
347,110
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
564,777
people in Dane County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$88,108
median household income
Source: Census ACS
55%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Dane County ranks
Where Dane County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #2Best county job markets for job seekers in the Great Lakes87 / 100 · of 52
- #4Best county job markets for job seekers in the Midwest82 / 100 · of 68
- #4Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Great Lakes55% · of 100
- #5Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Midwest55% · of 100
- #5Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the Great Lakes29% · of 100
- #8Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the Midwest29% · of 100
Dane County outlook: Steady
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 3.6% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 4.9% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 2.5%, up 0.2 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+4,588 jobs), hotels & food (+2,417 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: manufacturing (−1,315 jobs), finance & insurance (−1,212 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Dane County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- More Madison area businesses are adopting AI, survey findsThe Capital Times · Oct 27, 2026
- More Madison area businesses adopt AI amid concern over value, effectsThe Capital Times · Oct 27, 2026
- Cardinal Call: UW–Madison merges botany and integrative biology departmentsThe Daily Cardinal · Oct 21, 2026
- UW-Madison biology merger raises staff concerns over layoffs, botany’s futureThe Daily Cardinal · Oct 15, 2026
- Gov. Evers, DWD Announce $6.6 Million in New Grants to Train Over 3,800 Wisconsin Workers in Advanced Manufacturing and AIWHBL · Oct 14, 2026
- Fearing AI, young workers retrain for hands-on jobsThe Hechinger Report on MSN · Sep 29, 2026
Learn and get funded in Dane County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Dane County layoffs
7
Layoff notices, last 12 months
316
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
4
employers
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hy Cite Enterprises, LLCTakes effect Nov 5, 2026 | Middleton | 78 | — | State record | |
| PPD d/b/a Thermo Fisher ScientificTakes effect Sep 28, 2026 | Middleton | 71 | — | State record | |
| PPD d/b/a Thermo Fisher ScientificTakes effect Sep 28, 2026 | Middleton | 69 | — | State record | |
| UnityPoint HealthTakes effect Feb 28, 2027 | Madison | 1 | — | State record | |
| PPD d/b/a Thermo Fisher ScientificTakes effect Sep 28, 2026 | Middleton | 69 | — | State record | |
| Unity Point Health - Revision 1Takes effect Aug 7, 2026 | Madison | 3 | — | State record | |
| UnityPoint HealthTakes effect Jul 24, 2026 | Madison | 25 | — | State record |
Employers hiring most in Dane County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- Creative Financial Staffing30 open roles
- Amazon14 open roles
- Catalent Pharma Solutions12 open roles
- Quartz Health Solutions10 open roles
- SSM Health8 open roles
- Veeva Systems8 open roles
- MGE Energy6 open roles
- University of Wisconsin-Green Bay6 open roles
- Charter Communications5 open roles
- LifePoint Health5 open roles
Largest employers headquartered in Dane County
- University of Wisconsin-Madison20,001–100,000 employees
- Reynolds Consumer Products5,001–20,000 employees
Employee counts with a year are published figures (Wikidata). Other sizes are estimates from our company directory, not payroll counts.
Colleges in Dane County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | Madison | Public 4-year | 20,000+ |
| Herzing University-Madison | Madison | Private non-profit 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| Edgewood College | Madison | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
Conferences in Dane County
Industry conferences and trade shows held in Dane County. 3 with dates announced.
- WNA Convention
Mar 11 to Mar 12, 2027 · Madison, WI
Paid ticket, price not listed
- AASLH Annual Meeting
Sep 20 to Sep 23, 2027 · Madison, WI
Paid ticket. Scholarships and free student-volunteer registration; online registration opens May 2027
- CCDA National Conference
Nov 17 to Nov 20, 2027 · Madison, WI
Paid ticket. 2027 registration opens next year; prices not published.
- UWEBC Executive Summit
Usually October (next dates not announced) · Madison, WI
Ticket About $295. 2026 edition $295 add-on; no 2027 edition posted yet.
- Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference
Usually October (next dates not announced) · Middleton, WI
Paid ticket, price not listed
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Dane County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Wisconsin? How to file for unemployment in Wisconsin (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
- Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, Inc.
Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette, Sauk
Dane County Job Center
Madison · Comprehensive · 608-405-4400
Monday-Friday 7:45am-4:30pm
Cities in Dane County
Other Wisconsin counties
Laid off or looking for work in Dane County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Wisconsin’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Wisconsin unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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