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On June 22nd, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary May 2022 unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties and the 35 cities with populations greater than 25,000 residents. St. Croix County’s May rate was estimated at 2.5%, which is lower than April’s final rate of 3.0% and the final rate of 3.5% for March. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 3.4%.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates from April to May decreased or stayed the same in 66 of the 72 counties. Rates declined in all 72 counties year-over-year. The current rates range from 1.9% in Lafayette to 7.0% in Menominee.

Preliminary unemployment rates from April to May decreased or stayed the same in 13 of Wisconsin’s 35 largest cities. Year-over-year the rates declined in all 35 cities. Rates ranged from 1.9% in Fitchburg to 4.9% in Milwaukee.

The five counties with the lowest unemployment rates in May include Lafayette (1.9%), Clark (2.1%), Green (also at 2.1%), Calumet (2.2%), and Dane (also at 2.2%). Menominee had the highest rate in May at 7.0%, followed by Iron (5.6%), Forest (5.3%), Bayfield (4.9%), and Adams (4.6%).

St. Croix, Pierce, and Polk counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix’s rate of 2.5%, May’s preliminary rate in Pierce was 2.7% and Polk’s rate was 3.2%.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The May 2022 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 1.6%, which is higher than the final rates of 1.5% for April and 2.6% for March. The unemployment rate in the Twin Cities was 3.8% in May 2021.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in May was estimated at 2.9%, which is higher than the final rate of 2.8% for both April and March. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 4.1%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in Minnesota for May was estimated at 2.0%, which is lower than the final of 2.2% for April and the final rate of 2.5% in March. Minnesota’s seasonally-adjusted rate one year ago was 3.4%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. for May was estimated at 3.6%, which is the same as the final rate for both April and March. One year ago, the U.S. rate (seasonally adjusted) was estimated at 5.8%.

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for May was estimated at 66.5%, which is the same as the final rate for both April and March. One year ago, Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was also 66.7%. The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for the U.S. in May was estimated at 62.3%, which is higher than the final rate of 62.2% for April but lower than the final rate of 62.4% for March. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was 61.6%.

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