Jefferson County, WI jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meJefferson County economy
2.5%
unemployment, Sep 2026
2.5% the month before
48,706
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
85,867
people in Jefferson County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$80,604
median household income
Source: Census ACS
34%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Jefferson County ranks
Where Jefferson County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #13Counties with the lowest unemployment in the Great Lakes2.5% · of 100
- #25Counties with the most job centers per unemployed person in the Great Lakes8.1 per 10,000 · of 100
Jefferson 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 down 1.8% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 0.3% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 2.5%, unchanged from a year ago
- Sectors losing the most jobs: manufacturing (−1,595 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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.
Jefferson County layoffs
2
Layoff notices, last 12 months
114
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
2
employers
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Specialty, LLCTakes effect Sep 25, 2026 | Fort Atkinson | 59 | — | State record | |
| Daybreak Foods, Inc. * The company provided a separate communication with the b…Takes effect Apr 1, 2026 | Palmyra | 55 | — | State record |
Employers hiring most in Jefferson 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.
- Builders FirstSource3 open roles
- ScionHealth3 open roles
- Creative Financial Staffing2 open roles
- Illinois Tool Works2 open roles
- Johnsonville2 open roles
- All World Machinery Supply1 open role
- Connect Search1 open role
- Davita1 open role
- GPAC1 open role
- Johnson Bank1 open role
Colleges in Jefferson County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maranatha Baptist University | Watertown | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Jefferson 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
Workforce Development Center of Jefferson County
Jefferson · Affiliate · 920-674-7500
Monday - Friday, 7:45am - 4:30pm
Cities in Jefferson County
Other Wisconsin counties
Laid off or looking for work in Jefferson 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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