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On June 21st, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary May 2023 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 2.8%, which is lower than April’s final rate of 2.9% and the final rate of 3.4% for March. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 2.8%.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates from April to May decreased or stayed the same in 28 of 72 counties. Year-over-year, rates in 64 counties decreased or stayed the same. Current rates range from 2.0% in Lafayette to 5.5% in Menominee and Iron.

Preliminary unemployment rates from April to May decreased in all of Wisconsin’s 35 largest cities. Year-over-year, the rates declined or stayed the same in 27 cities. Rates ranged from 2.1% in Madison, Muskego, and Sun Prairie to 4.4% in Beloit.

The five counties with the lowest unemployment rates in May include Lafayette (2.0%), Calumet (2.1%), Clark (also at 2.1%), Dane (also at 2.1%), and Green (also at 2.1%). Menomonee had the highest rate in May at 5.5%, followed by Iron (also at 5.5%), Forest (4.2%), Douglas (also at 4.2%), and Adams (4.1%).

St. Croix, Pierce, and Polk counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix’s rate of 2.8%, May’s preliminary rate in Pierce was 2.6% and Polk’s rate was 3.1%.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The May 2023 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 2.9%, which is higher than April’s final rate of 2.7% and the final rate of 2.8% for March. The unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was 2.1% in May 2022.

Nearby Washington County in Minnesota reported a preliminary rate of 2.7% in May, while Dakota County, MN also reported a rate of 2.7% and Chisago County, MN had a rate of 3.1%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in May was estimated at 2.4%, which is the same as the final rate for April and lower than the final rate of 2.5% for March. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 2.9%.

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

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. for May was estimated at 3.7%, which is higher than April’s final rate of 3.4% and March’s final rate of 3.5%. One year ago, the U.S. rate (seasonally adjusted) was estimated at 3.6%.

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for May was estimated at 65.1%, which is higher than April’s final rate of 64.8% and March’s final rate of 64.6%. 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 May was estimated at 62.6%, which is the same as the final rate for April and March. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was 62.3%.

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