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On April 26th, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary March 2023 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 3.4%, which is lower than February’s final rate of 3.8% but higher than January’s final rate of 3.3%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 3.6%.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates from February to March decreased or stayed the same in all 72 counties. Rates also declined in all 72 counties year-over-year. The current rates range from 1.6% in Dane to 5.4% in Adams.

Preliminary unemployment rates from February to March decreased in all of Wisconsin’s 35 largest cities. Year-over-year, the rates declined in 34 cities. Rates ranged from 1.5% in Madison to 3.8% in Superior.

The five counties with the lowest unemployment rates in March include Dane (1.6%), Calumet (1.7%), Ozaukee (1.8%), Sheboygan (also at 1.8%), and La Crosse (1.9%). Adams had the highest rate in March at 5.4%, followed by Burnett (5.2%), Bayfield (5.1%), Iron (5.0%), and Polk (4.6%).

St. Croix, Pierce, and Polk counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix’s rate of 3.4%, March’s preliminary rate in Pierce was 3.3% and Polk’s rate was 4.6%.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The March 2023 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 2.8%, which is lower than February’s final rate of 3.2% and January’s final rate of 2.9%. The unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was 2.9% in March 2022.

Nearby Washington County in Minnesota reported a preliminary rate of 2.5% in March, while Dakota County, MN reported a rate of 2.7% and Chisago County, MN had a rate of 4.3%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in March was estimated at 2.5%, which is lower than the final rate of 2.8% in February and January’s final rate of 2.9%. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 3.1%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Minnesota in March was estimated at 2.8%, which is lower than February’s final rate of 3.0% and December’s final rate of 2.9%. Minnesota’s seasonally-adjusted rate one year ago was 2.4%.

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

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for March was estimated at 64.6%, which is higher than the final rate of 64.5% for both February and January. One year ago, Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was 65.3%. The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for the U.S. in March was estimated at 62.6%, which is higher than February’s final rate of 62.4% and the same as January’s final rate of 62.4%. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was 62.5%.

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