BLOG

On March 15th, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the preliminary January 2017 unemployment rate for Wisconsin’s 72 counties and the 32 cities with populations greater than 25,000 residents. St. Croix County’s rate was estimated at 4.2%. For comparison, St. Croix’s final rate in December was 3.7% and November’s final rate was 3.4%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 4.5%.

DWD said preliminary unemployment rates for January decreased or remained the same in 71 of 72 counties when compared to January 2016. The current rates ranged from 2.9% in Dane County to 8.0% in Bayfield.

The January 2017 preliminary unemployment rates decreased in all of Wisconsin’s 32 municipalities with population bases of least 25,000 residents when compared to January 2016. The January rates ranged from 2.7% in Fitchburg and Madison to 5.7% in Racine

Dane County had the lowest rate in January at 2.9% followed by Ozaukee (3.3%), Calumet (3.4%), Sheboygan (also at 3.4%), and Washington (3.5%). Bayfield County had the highest rate in January at 8.0%, followed by Iron (7.8%), Adams (7.2%), Burnett (7.1%), and Sawyer (6.9%).

St. Croix, Pierce, Polk, and Dunn counties comprise Wisconsin’s Greater St. Croix Valley. In addition to St. Croix referenced above, Dunn County’s preliminary rate for January was estimated at 4.6%. Pierce’s rate in January was estimated at 4.9% and Polk’s rate was 5.7%. The current rates in all four counties are lower or remained the same compared to January 2016.

St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the 16-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area. The January 2017 unemployment rate for the Twin Cities was estimated at 4.2%, which is higher than December’s final rate of 3.6% and November’s final rate of 3.0%. The unemployment rate in the Twin Cities was 3.9% in January 2016.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in January was estimated at 3.9%, which is lower than the final rate of 4.1% for both December and November. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 4.3%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in Minnesota in January 2017 was estimated at 4.0% which is the same as the final rate for both December and November. Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted rate one year ago was 3.9%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. for January was estimated at 4.8%, which is higher than the final rate of 4.7% in December and November’s final rate of 4.6%. One year ago the U.S. rate (seasonally adjusted) was estimated at 4.9%.

Wisconsin’s preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for January 2017 was estimated at 68.1%, which is lower than the final rate of 68.0% in December and November’s final rate of 68.4%. One year ago, Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate was 68.4%. The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) labor force participation rate for the U.S. in January was estimated at 62.9%, which is higher the final rate of 62.7% for December and November’s final rate of 62.6%. One year ago, the labor force participation rate in the U.S. was 62.7%.

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