Wisconsin
The Impact Project synthesizes publicly available data about the impacts of government change.
State Dashboards provide a snapshot of impacts to states, including the size of the federal workforce, federal dollars, a profile of probationary workers, and impacts to federal programs.
Dashboards will change as the data does, and you may find areas that need updating. Please reach out via [email protected] if you would like to support our work, share data, or provide feedback.
Click here to download state data.
Federal Workforce in Wisconsin
Total Workforce
3,057,719
Federal Workforce
18,022
Probationary Federal Workforce
1,756
Sources: OPM.gov (Mar. '24); Census.gov (Dec '24); BLS.gov (Feb. '24)
Federal Funding & State Revenue
Historically, federal dollars have accounted for about a quarter to a third of state revenue. The COVID-19 Pandemic increased those numbers. Approximately 26.60% of the State's 2019 budget came from federal funding, and 33.05% of 2022's budget.
Sources: Pew Trusts; Census.gov; NBER.gov
Summary of State Dots
| Action | Wisconsin Stories |
|---|---|
| Defense | 9 |
| Economy & Employment | 6 |
| Education | 9 |
| Energy | 3 |
| Food & Agriculture | 23 |
| Housing | 1 |
| Humanities & the Arts | 2 |
| Infrastructure | 7 |
| International Development | 4 |
| Natural Resources, Environment & Public Lands | 11 |
| Overarching | 15 |
| Public Health & Healthcare | 42 |
| Research & Academic Research | 10 |
| Social Services | 27 |
| Total | 169 |
Sources: theimpactproject.org
Last Updated: 4/22/2025
DOGE Data Summary
According to DOGE data, 15 contracts, 43 grants and 14 leases have been terminated in Wisconsin.
Source: https://doge.gov/savings
Top Federal Occupations in Wisconsin
This table provides a snapshot of federal occupations in this state. Click here for descriptions of these occupations.
Probationary employees include those employed by a federal agency for a year or less by March, 2024. For some agencies, the probationary period last longer (2-3yrs). In most cases, the probationary period restarts when a worker is promoted.
| Occupation | Total Employees | Probationary Employees |
|---|---|---|
| NURSE | 2516 | 343 |
| MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANCE | 745 | 179 |
| NURSING ASSISTANT | 444 | 136 |
| MISCELLANEOUS CLERK AND ASSISTANT | 519 | 132 |
| VETERANS CLAIMS EXAMINING | 681 | 94 |
| MEDICAL OFFICER | 730 | 79 |
| SOCIAL WORK | 404 | 71 |
| MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM | 570 | 46 |
| HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | 409 | 23 |
| SOCIAL INSURANCE ADMINISTRATION | 368 | 6 |
Sources: OPM.gov (2024)
Top Federal Employers in State
| State | Agency | Non-probationary | Probationary | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WI | Department Of Veterans Affairs | 9330 | 1600 | 10930 |
| WI | Department Of The Army | 1615 | 188 | 1803 |
| WI | Department Of Agriculture | 1520 | 223 | 1743 |
| WI | Department Of The Interior | 695 | 47 | 742 |
| WI | Social Security Administration | 530 | 20 | 550 |
Sources: OPM.gov
Impacted Funding for Food Programs
This summarizes cuts from only a few of the food-related programs impacted by funding changes since January 2025.
The LFS program awards money to states to buy local foods for schools and childcare institutions, and the LFPA program provides funding for state, tribal and territorial governments to buy food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destinations. Both programs have been cancelled.
| State, Tribe, or Territory | Local Food for Schools (FY25) | Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement (FY25) |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $11,417,078 | $5,489,945 |
Source: https://www.usaspending.gov/
Top 5 Counties with Federal Workers
| County | Federal Employees |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 9598 |
| Dane | 5619 |
| Monroe | 2420 |
| Brown | 1226 |
| Waukesha | 731 |
Sources: BLS.gov
Potentially Impacted Federal Programs
Wisconsin administers several federally supported social programs that play a crucial role in assisting its residents, particularly those facing economic and health challenges. These programs address various needs, including nutrition, healthcare, financial assistance, and housing.
Some of these programs have already been impacted, and others may be impacted in the future. Examples include:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) / FoodShare
- BadgerCare Plus
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program
- Housing Assistance Programs
- Medicaid Funding
- Social Security Administration (SSA)
- Domestic Violence and Support Services
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
State Map
- Rural Counties
- Indigenous Lands
- Majority Non-White
- Poverty Rate >= 20%
- 0 - 4,000
- 4,000 - 7,000
- 7,000 - 10,000
- 10,000 - 15,000
- 15,000 - 25,000
- 25,000 - 35,000
- 35,000 - 50,000
- >50,000
- 0 - 50
- 50 - 100
- 100 - 250
- 250 - 500
- 500 - 1,000
- 1,000 - 5,000
- 5,000 - 10,000
- >10,000
- Statewide Impact
- Location-Specific
Future Analysis
Check back for deeper dives into this data, including consideration of these questions:
- How do these changes impact local and state economies?
- How are local and state governments, NGOs, and businesses responding to federal changes? What gaps are they filling, and what gaps remain?
- How is federal government change evolving over time?
Download Full Data Set
Access a comprehensive Excel file containing all the data shown on this page. This downloadable resource is ideal for further analysis, reporting, or presentations.
“We’re not nameless, faceless federal bureaucrats, we’re people living in these communities, too.” - Anonymous