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On March 15th, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary January 2023 unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties and the 35 cities with populations greater than 25,000 residents. St. Croix County’s January rate was estimated at 3.3%, which is higher than December’s final rate of 2.8% and November’s final rate of 2.6%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 3.5%.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates from December to January declined or stayed the same in only three of the 72 counties. Rates declined or stayed the same in 71 of the 72 counties year-over-year. The current rates range from 1.9% in both Calumet and Dane to 6.0% in Adams.

Preliminary unemployment rates from December to January rose in all of Wisconsin’s 35 largest cities. Year-over-year, the rates declined or stayed the same in 34 cities. Rates ranged from 1.8% in Madison to 3.7% in both Milwaukee and Racine.

The five counties with the lowest unemployment rates in January include Calumet (1.9%), Dane (also at 1.9%), Ozaukee (2.1%), Sheboygan (also at 2.1%), and Washington (also at 2.1%). Adams had the highest rate in January at 6.0%, followed by Iron (5.4%), Burnett (5.3%), Forest (4.9%), and Bayfield (4.8%).

St. Croix, Pierce, and Polk counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix’s rate of 3.3%, January’s preliminary rate in Pierce was 3.3% and Polk’s rate was 4.5%.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The January 2023 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 2.9%, which is higher than December’s final rate of 2.6% and November’s final rate of 1.9%. The unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was 3.0% in January 2022.

Nearby Washington County in Minnesota reported a preliminary rate of 2.6% for January, while Dakota County, MN reported a rate of 2.8% and Chisago County, MN had a rate of 4.5%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in January was estimated at 2.9%, which is lower than December’s final rate of 3.0% and November’s final rate of 3.3%. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 2.8%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in Minnesota for January was estimated at 2.9%, which is the same as the final rate for December and lower than November’s final rate of 3.0%. Minnesota’s seasonally-adjusted rate one year ago was 2.8%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. for January was estimated at 3.4%, which is lower than December’s final rate of 3.5% and November’s final rate of 3.6%. One year ago, the U.S. rate (seasonally adjusted) was estimated at 4.0%.

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for January was estimated at 64.5%, which is lower than December’s final rate of 64.6% and November’s final rate of 64.9%. 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 January was estimated at 62.4%, which is higher than December’s final rate of 62.3% and November’s final rate of 62.2%. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was 62.2%.

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