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On September 20th, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary August 2017 unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties and the 32 cities with populations greater than 25,000 residents. St. Croix County’s rate was estimated at 2.9% 2.8%. For comparison, St. Croix’s final rate in July was 2.8% and June’s final rate was 3.0%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 3.5%.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates for August decreased in 71 of 72 counties when compared to August 2016. The current rates ranged from 2.4% in Dane and to 7.5% in Menominee.

The August 2017 preliminary unemployment rates decreased in all of Wisconsin’s 32 municipalities with population bases of least 25,000 residents when compared to August 2016. The August rates ranged from 2.3% in Fitchburg and Madison to 6.1% in Racine.

Dane County had the lowest rate in August at 2.4%, followed by Green (2.5%), Lafayette (also at 2.5%), Clark (2.6%), and Door (also at 2.6%). Menominee County had the highest rate in August at 7.5%, followed by Iron (6.0%), Forest (5.2%), Adams (5.1%), and Racine (4.6%).

St. Croix, Pierce, Polk, and Dunn counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix referenced above, the preliminary rate for August 2017 in Polk was estimated at 3.0%. The August rate in Dunn and Pierce counties was estimated at 3.1%. The current rates in all four counties are lower compared to August 2016.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 16-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The August 2017 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 3.4%, which is higher than July’s final rate of 3.3%, but lower than June’s final rate of 3.5%. The unemployment rate in the Twin Cities was 3.6% in August 2016.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in August was estimated at 3.4%, which is higher than July’s final rate of 3.2% and June’s final rate of 3.1%. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 4.2%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in Minnesota in August 2017 was estimated at 3.8%, which is higher than the 3.7%, which is the same as the final rates for June. Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted rate one year ago was 4.0%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. for August was estimated at 4.4%, which is higher than July’s final rate of 4.3% but the same as June’s final rate. One year ago the U.S. rate (seasonally adjusted) was estimated at 4.9%.

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for August 2017 was estimated at 68.8%, which is the same as July’s final rate, but lower than June’s final rate of 68.9% in June. One year ago, Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was 68.3%. The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for the U.S. in August was estimated at 62.9%, which is the same as July’s final rate and higher than June’s final rate of 62.8%. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was 62.8%.

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