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On April 20th, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary March 2022 unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties and the 35 cities with populations greater than 25,000 residents. St. Croix County’s March rate was estimated at 3.5%, which is higher than February’s final rate of 3.4% and January’s final rate of 3.3%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 4.5%.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates from February to March decreased or stayed the same in 62 of the 72 counties. Rates declined in all 72 counties year-over-year. The current rates range from 2.3% in Dane to 6.5% in Iron.

Preliminary unemployment rates from February to March decreased or stayed the same in 25 of Wisconsin’s 35 largest cities. Year-over-year the rates declined in all 35 cities. Rates ranged from 2.0% in Fitchburg to 5.0% in Milwaukee.

The five counties with the lowest unemployment rates in March include Dane (2.3%), Calumet (2.4%), Ozaukee (2.5%), Sheboygan (2.6%), and Waukesha (also at 2.6%). Iron County had the highest rate in March at 6.5%, followed by Bayfield (6.4%), Forest (6.3%), Adams (also at 6.3%), and Burnett (6.1%).

St. Croix, Pierce, and Polk counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix’s rate of 3.5%, March’s preliminary rate in Pierce was 3.8% and Polk’s rate was 4.9%.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The March 2022 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 2.5%, which is higher than the final rate of 2.4% for February but lower than January’s final rate of 3.0%. The unemployment rate in the Twin Cities was 4.3% in March 2021.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in March was estimated at 2.8%, which is lower than February’s final rate of 2.9% and January’s final rate of 3.0%. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 4.3%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in Minnesota for March was estimated at 2.5%, which is lower than February’s final rate of 2.7% and January’s final rate of 2.9%. Minnesota’s seasonally-adjusted rate one year ago was 3.7%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. for March was estimated at 3.6%, which is lower than February’s final rate of 3.8% and January’s final rate of 4.0%. One year ago, the U.S. rate (seasonally adjusted) was estimated at 6.0%.

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for March was estimated at 66.5%, which is higher than the final rate of 66.4% for both February and January. One year ago, Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was also 66.6%. The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for the U.S. in March was estimated at 62.4%, which is higher than February’s final rate of 62.3% and January’s rate of 62.2%. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was 61.5%.

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