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On April 21st, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary March 2021 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 4.5%, which is lower than February’s final rate of 5.0% but higher than January’s final rate of 4.4%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 4.5%.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates from February to March declined or stayed the same in 63 of 72 counties as well as in 70 counties. The rates also declined or stayed the same in 13 counties year-over-year. The rates ranged from 3.5% in Dane to 9.4% in Forest. 

Preliminary unemployment rates declined or stayed the same in 24 of Wisconsin’s 34 largest municipalities from February to March, but increased in 33 cities year over year. Rates ranged from 3.3% in Muskego to 7.7% in Racine.

The five counties with the lowest unemployment rates in March include Dane (3.5%), Calumet (3.6%), Ozaukee (3.7%), Sheboygan (3.7%), Grant (3.8%), and Kewaunee (also at 3.8%). Forest County had the highest rate in March at 9.4%, followed by Menominee (9.2%), Iron (9.1%), Bayfield (8.5%), and Adams (8.3%).

St. Croix, Pierce, Polk, and Dunn counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix’s rate of 4.5%, March’s preliminary rate in Pierce is at 4.6%, while Dunn is at 4.7% and Polk came in at 6.1%.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The March 2021 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 4.3%, which is lower than February’s final rate of 4.6% and January’s final rate of 4.8%. The unemployment rate in the Twin Cities was 3.1% in March 2020.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in March was estimated at 3.8%, which is the same as the final rates 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 4.2% which is lower than February’s final rate of 4.4% and January’s final rate of 4.5%. Minnesota’s seasonally-adjusted rate one year ago was 3.5%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. for March was estimated at 6.0%, which is lower than February’s final rate of 6.2% and January’s final rate of 6.3%. One year ago, the U.S. rate (seasonally adjusted) was estimated at 4.4%.

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for March was estimated at 65.7%, which is higher than February’s final rate of 65.6% and January’s final rate of 65.0%. One year ago, Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was 65.9%. The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for the U.S. in March was estimated at 61.5%, which is higher than the final rate of 61.4% for both February and January. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was 62.6%. 

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