A recent WalletHub report — citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics — puts Madison as the 12th best city in the nation when it comes to unemployment recovery. Nationally, the unemployment rate has fallen to 10.2%, which is 31% below the peak of 14.7% during the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers on temporary layoffs were not counted as unemployed, so the actual unemployment rate may be about 9% higher than reported.
Cities recovering better than Madison are as follows: Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky; Louisville, Kentucky; Lincoln, Nebraska; Amarillo, Texas; Nampa, Idaho; Bismarck, North Dakota; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Boise, Idaho; West Valley City, Utah; Billings, Montana; and Plano, Texas.
