Madison's unemployment rate was 3% in September, up from 2.4% a year earlier, with 1,010 residents looking for work. It is still below the county and state.
Madison’s unemployment rate was 3% in September, up from 2.4% in September 2025. About 1,010 city residents were out of work and looking for a job, against 803 a year earlier.
The figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics for the city of Madison. The September numbers are preliminary and can be revised.
Madison still has a lower rate than Huntsville, Madison County and the state.
How Madison compares
| Area | September 2025 | September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | 2.4% | 3% |
| Madison County | 2.5% | 3.2% |
| Huntsville | 2.6% | 3.2% |
| Alabama | 3% | 3.7% |
The rates are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier. The sources are the BLS series for Madison County, Huntsville and Alabama.
Every area rose by between 0.6 and 0.7 of a percentage point. Madison moved in step with the region and the state.
The numbers behind the rate
Madison’s labor force, the residents who are working or looking for work, was 33,885 in September. A year earlier it was 33,826.
So the labor force barely moved. The rise in the rate came from more residents looking for work: 1,010 in September, up 207 from a year earlier.
Across Madison County, 7,183 people were unemployed in September, out of a labor force of 227,978. A year earlier it was 5,725 out of 227,621.
August, revised
The bureau also revised its August figures for the city. Madison’s rate stays at 2.7%. The number of unemployed residents is now 904, not 906, and the labor force is 33,559, not 33,524. Our August story has been updated.
The past year, month by month
Madison’s rate fell to a low of 1.8% in December 2025. It climbed to 3.1% in June 2026, eased to 2.9% in July and 2.7% in August, then rose to 3% in September.
September’s 1,010 unemployed residents is the second-highest count this year. Only June, with 1,040, was higher.
There is no figure for October 2025. The bureau did not produce one because of the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations.
What it means for you
- Madison’s rate is the lowest of the four areas in the table.
- About 200 more residents are looking for work than a year ago, and rates are up by a similar amount across the Huntsville area and the state.
- The September figures are preliminary. The bureau usually revises them a month later.
If you are looking for work, the city posts its own openings on the City of Madison website. The state’s job service is Alabama Works.
For more on the local economy, see our pages on home prices in Madison and new businesses.
We will update this story when the bureau publishes the October figures for cities and counties.
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