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On May 24th, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary April 2023 unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties and the 35 cities with populations greater than 25,000 residents. St. Croix County’s April rate was estimated at 2.9%, which is lower than March’s final rate of 3.4% and February’s final rate of 3.8%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 3.1%.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates from March to April decreased or stayed the same in 67 of 72 counties. Current rates range from 1.5% in Lafayette to 6.2% in Iron.

Preliminary unemployment rates from March to April decreased or stayed the same in 28 Wisconsin’s 35 largest cities. Year-over-year, the rates declined or stayed the same in 34 cities. Rates ranged from 1.6% in Madison, Muskego, Neenah, and Sun Prairie to 3.8% in Superior.

The five counties with the lowest unemployment rates in April include Dane (1.6%), Calumet (1.7%), Ozaukee (1.8%), Sheboygan (also at 1.8%), and La Crosse (1.9%). Adams had the highest rate in April at 5.4%, followed by Burnett (5.2%), Bayfield (5.1%), Iron (5.0%), and Polk (4.6%).

St. Croix, Pierce, and Polk counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix’s rate of 2.9%, April’s preliminary rate in Pierce was also 2.9% and Polk’s rate was 4.0%.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The April 2023 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 2.7%, which is lower than the final rate of 2.8% for March and February’s final rate of 3.2%. The unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was 2.0% in April 2022.

Nearby Washington County in Minnesota reported a preliminary rate of 2.4% in April, while Dakota County, MN reported a rate of 2.5% and Chisago County, MN had a rate of 3.7%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in April was estimated at a record low 2.4% which is lower than the final rates of 2.5% for March and 2.8% in February. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 2.8%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Minnesota in April was estimated at 2.8%, which is the same as final rate for March, but lower than February’s final rate of 3.0%. Minnesota’s seasonally-adjusted rate one year ago was 2.3%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. for April was estimated at 3.4%, which is lower than the final rate of 3.5% for March and February’s final of 3.6%. One year ago, the U.S. rate (seasonally adjusted) was estimated at 3.6%.

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for April was estimated at 64.8%, which is higher than the final rate of 64.6% for March and February’s final rate of 64.5%. One year ago, Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was 65.4%. The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for the U.S. in April was estimated at 62.6%, which is the same as the final rate for March and higher than February’s final rate of 62.4%. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was 62.2%.

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