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On November 24th, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary October 2021 unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties and the 34 cities with populations greater than 25,000 residents. St. Croix County’s October rate was estimated at 1.9%, which is lower than September’s final rate of 2.3% and August’s final rate of 3.3%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 4.0%.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates declined from September to October in all 72 counties and declined in all counties year-over-year. The rates ranged from 1.6% in Lafayette to 5.1% in Menominee.

Preliminary unemployment rates declined from September to October in all of Wisconsin’s 34 largest cities and declined in all of the largest cities year-over-year. Rates ranged from 1.7% in Madison to 4.2% in Milwaukee.

The five counties with the lowest unemployment rates in October include Lafayette (1.6%), Taylor (also at 1.6%), Calumet (1.7%), Clark (also at 1.7%), and Kewaunee (also at 1.7%). Menominee County had the highest rate in October at 5.1%, followed by Forest (4.1%), Milwaukee (3.5%), Iron (also at 3.5%), and Adams (also at 3.5%).

St. Croix, Pierce, and Polk counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix’s rate of 1.9%, October’s preliminary rate in Pierce was 1.9% and Polk’s rate was 2.2%.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The October 2021 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 2.6%, which is lower than the final rate of 2.9% for September and August’s final rate of 3.5%. The unemployment rate in the Twin Cities was 5.3% in October 2020.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in October was estimated at 3.2%, compared to September’s final rate of 3.4% and August’s final rate of 3.9%. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 4.8%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in Minnesota in October was estimated at 3.5%, which is lower than September’s final rate of 3.7% and August’s final rate of 3.8%. Minnesota’s seasonally-adjusted rate one year ago was 5.3%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. for October was estimated at 4.6%, compared to September’s final rate of 4.8% and August’s final rate of 5.2%. One year ago, the U.S. rate (seasonally adjusted) was estimated at 6.9%.

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for October was estimated at 66.4%, which is lower than the final rate of 66.5% for September and August. One year ago, Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was also 65.5%. The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for the U.S. in October was estimated at 61.6%, which is the same as September’s final rate but lower than August’s the final rate of 61.7%. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was also 61.6%.

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