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On April 22nd, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary March 2020 unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties and the 34 cities with populations greater than 25,000 residents. St. Croix County’s March rate was estimated at 4.2%, which is lower than the final rate of 4.8% for both February and January. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 4.1%.

The one-month delay in data reporting is not indicative of Wisconsin’s current economy and labor market.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates from February to March declined in all 72 counties. The rates ranged from 2.2% in Dane to 7.1% in Burnett.

Preliminary unemployment rates decreased in all of Wisconsin’s 34 largest municipalities from February to March. Rates ranged from 2.0% in Madison to 5.2% in Racine.

The five counties with the lowest unemployment rates in March include Dane (2.2%), Ozaukee (2.6 %), Calumet (2.7%), La Crosse (2.8%), and Marathon (also at 2.8%). Burnett County had the highest rate in March at 7.1%, followed by Bayfield (6.7%), Iron (6.6%), Adams (6.5%), Menominee (6.1%).

St. Croix, Pierce, Polk, and Dunn counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix’s rate of 4.2%, March’s preliminary rate in Dunn and Pierce was also estimated at 4.2% while was Polk at 5.8%.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The March 2020 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 3.4%, which is higher than the final rate of 3.1% for both February and January. The unemployment rate in the Twin Cities was 3.6% in March 2019.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in March was estimated at 3.4%, which is lower than the final rate of 3.5% for both February and January. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 3.2%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in Minnesota in March was estimated at 3.1%, which is lower than February’s final rate of 3.2% and January’s final rate of 3.3%. Minnesota’s seasonally-adjusted rate one year ago was 3.2%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. for March was estimated at 3.5%, which is lower than February’s final rate of 3.6% and the same as January’s final rate. One year ago, the U.S. rate (seasonally adjusted) was estimated at 3.8%

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for March was 66.8% which is lower than the final rate of 66.9% for both February and January. One year ago, Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was 67.0%. The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for the U.S. in March was estimated at 62.7% which is lower than the final rate of 63.4% for both February and January. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was 63.0%.

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