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On July 21st, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary June 2021 unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties and the 34 cities with populations greater than 25,000 residents. St. Croix County’s June rate was estimated at 3.8%, which is higher than May’s final rate of 3.3%, but lower than April’s final rate of 3.9%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 9.7%.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates from May to June declined in all 72 counties and also declined in all 72 counties year-over-year, and declined or stayed or stayed the same in two counties from May to June. The rates ranged from 3.0% in Lafayette to 10.2% in Menominee.

Preliminary unemployment rates declined in all of Wisconsin’s 34 largest cities year-over-year, but increased in all of the largest municipalities from May to June. Rates ranged from 3.5% in Muskego to 8.0% in Milwaukee.

The five counties with the lowest unemployment rates in June include Lafayette (3.0%), Taylor (3.1%), Kewaunee (3.2%), Calumet (3.3%), and Clark (3.4%). Menominee County had the highest rate in June at 10.2%, followed by Forest (7.6%), Iron (6.8%), Milwaukee (6.7%), and Adams (6.6%).

St. Croix, Pierce, Polk, and Dunn counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix’s rate of 3.8%, June’s preliminary rate in Pierce was 3.9%, followed by Dunn at 4.1% and Polk also came in at 4.1%.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The June 2021 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 4.5%, which is higher than the final rate of 3.8% for May and April’s final rate of 4.1%. The unemployment rate in the Twin Cities was 9.2% in June 2020.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in June was estimated at 3.9%, matching May’s rate but is higher than the final rate of 3.8% for March. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 8.6%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in Minnesota in June was estimated at 4.0%, matching May’s final rate but is lower than April’s final rate of 4.1%. Minnesota’s seasonally-adjusted rate one year ago was 8.9%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. for June was estimated at 5.9%, which is higher than May’s final rate of 5.8% but lower than April’s final rate of 6.1%. One year ago, the U.S. rate (seasonally adjusted) was estimated at 11.1%.

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for June was estimated at 66.3%, which is higher than May’s final rate of 66.1% and April’s final rate of 65.9%. One year ago, Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was 65.5%. The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for the U.S. in June was estimated at 61.6%, matching May’s final rate but is lower than April’s final rate of 61.7%. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was 61.4%.

June’s estimates are preliminary and are subject to revision within the next few weeks.