Latest Data: June 2026
Unemployment Rate in AWE Service Area:3.37%
Adams · Forest · Langlade · Lincoln · Marathon · Oneida · Portage · Vilas · Wood Counties
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Economy Overview
Workforce Development Area 6 (9 Counties) | June 2026
Population (2025)+1.5%
427,795
Grew by 6,361 since 2020. Projected +4,141 by 2030.
Total Employment (2025)+3.0%
213,791
Projected to grow by ~3,278 jobs by 2030.
Avg. Earnings Per Job
$70.0K
$20.6K below national average ($90.6K).
Unemployment Rate (Jun 2026)
Improving — down from 4.34% in Jan–Mar 2026
Labor Force Participation
Recovered — up from 59.17% in Jan–Mar 2026
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
3.5% below national average
Job Trends 2020–2030
Actual through 2025 · Projected 2026–2030 (Lightcast)
Unemployment Rate Trend
Annual 2021–2025 then monthly through June 2026
Labor Force Participation
Sharp recovery in June 2026 after early-year dip
Positive signal: LFP jumped to 61.32% in June 2026, recovering from the 59.17% trough in Jan–Mar. The region's elevated 55+ population (164,720 vs. national avg 128,828) remains a long-term risk.
Demographics & Unemployment
Rate: 3.37% (June 2026) | 7,576 total unemployed (Apr 2026) | Labor force: 217,420
Unemployment by Age Group (Apr 2026)
Total unemployed persons per age band — 7,576 total
Educational Attainment
Grad/Prof — 8.0%
Bachelor's — 18.4%
Associate's — 13.3% ↑
Some College — 20.0%
HS Diploma — 34.0%
< HS — 6.3%
Regional strength: Associate's Degree attainment is 4.5% above the national average, reflecting strong technical college pathways.
Millennials (25–39)
70,927
Region
National
Nat. avg: 87,217 — 19% below average
Retiring Soon (55+)
164,720
Region
National
Nat. avg: 128,828 — 28% above average ⚠
Veterans
25,904
Region
National
Nat. avg: 20,276 — 28% above average ✓
Violent Crime Rate 50% below national
1.69 per 1,000
Property Crime Rate 61% below national
6.48 per 1,000
Industry Analysis
Top growth industries and occupations, 2020–2025
Top Growing Industries (Jobs Added 2020–2025)
Estimated net job growth by sector
Top Growing Occupations (2020–2025)
Estimated net job growth by occupation group
Top Employers
Worker profiles vs. active job postings — last 12 months
Top Companies — Worker Profiles
Online profile mentions, proxy for workforce size
Marshfield Clinic
2,419
Sentry Insurance
1,845
Aspirus
1,769
UW–Stevens Point
1,432
Ministry Health Care
633
State of Wisconsin
571
Church Mutual Ins.
446
Greenheck
416
Skyward
367
Northcentral Tech
360
Top Companies — Job Postings
Unique postings, last 12 months
Aspirus
2,739
Marshfield Clinic
2,270
CompHealth
1,053
Weatherby Healthcare
844
Aya Healthcare
678
Vetted Health
650
Kroger
560
Soliant Health
525
Supplemental Health Care
464
Pick And Save
459
Healthcare dominates: Aspirus + Marshfield Clinic = 5,100+ unique postings. Four locum/travel staffing firms in the top 10 signal persistent clinical vacancy pressure.
Workforce & In-Demand Skills
Top specialized skills by job posting frequency — last 12 months
Skill Demand: Region vs. National Average
Region posting frequency
National average
Nursing
Lifting Ability
Merchandising
Medicare
Medicaid
Driving Record
Food Safety
Mathematics
Communication
Auditing
Educational Pipeline
5,629
Total Graduates in 2025
Pipeline down 6% over the past 5 years
Graduate Mix by Award Type
UW–Stevens Point
Northcentral Technical
Mid-State Technical
Certificate
Associate's
Bachelor's
Master's+
Top Producing Institutions (2025)
UW–Stevens Point
2,069
Northcentral Technical
1,959
Mid-State Technical
1,185
Nicolet Area Technical
359
State College of Beauty
57
Top Certificate Programs
- Nursing Assistant / Aide
- EMT / Paramedic
- Welding Technology
Layoff Activity
Reported WARN notices — Sep 2025 through Aug 2026
Total Affected Employees
252
across 6 layoff events (Sep 2025–Aug 2026); most recent: Aug 24, 2026
Based on employer-filed WARN notices. Two events did not report affected employee counts. Some events may not appear if company names could not be matched to the Lightcast database.
| County | Company | Event Date | Employees Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Foremost Farms USA | 08-24-2026 | 68 |
| Lincoln | Samuel Pressure Vessel Group | 08-05-2026 | 76 |
| Wood | Prince | 12-19-2025 | 80 |
Population Characteristics
Regional benchmarks vs. national averages
Total Population (2025)
427,795
+1.5% since 2020. Slower than national growth rate of 3.2%.
Age 55+ (Near Retirement)
164,720
National avg: 128,828. 28% above — elevated retirement-wave risk.
Millennials (Ages 25–39)
70,927
National avg: 87,217. 19% below — talent attraction challenge.
Veterans
25,904
National avg: 20,276. 28% above — a regional strength.
Violent Crime Rate
1.69/1K
National: 3.38. 50% below national rate — strong safety profile.
Property Crime Rate
6.48/1K
National: 16.44. 61% below national rate — strong safety profile.