(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s labor market remains at positive levels while the unemployment rate went up to 3.3% in April, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Chief Economist Dennis Winters said.

Winters said that Wisconsin numbers haven’t shown an impact from federal policy or tariff policy at this point. Winters said that the ongoing and initial unemployment rates have not risen or spiked in any way.

“As far as we know, that is going to continue until we see effects of what federal policies may have on the labor markets in the weeks and months to come,” Winters said.

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate remains below the 4.2% national rate while the state labor force participation rate was 65.5% in April compared to a 62.6% national rate.

The overall number of those unemployed in the state is higher than in 2024.

“That’s about 10,000 above year ago levels but still in a round number that we are very comfortable with,” Winters said.

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was 3.2% in March.

Winters added that an impact could still be seen as federal trade policies and personnel policies become rules.