St. Croix County’s Unemployment Rate for November Holds at 4.9 Percent

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Reggie Newson announced the preliminary November unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties on December 21st. St. Croix County’s rate was estimated at 4.9% which is the same as the September and October rate. The rate has fallen consistently since mid-year as August’s rate was noted at 5.8% and the July rate was 6.3%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 6.3%.

Compared to a year ago, DWD said 69 of the state’s 72 counties had lower unemployment rates, one had no change and two had slight increases. All 12 metropolitan areas across the state reported lower unemployment rates from October to November.

Only Dane, Pepin, and Pierce counties had an unemployment rates lower than St. Croix in November. Dane’s rate was estimated at 4.4%, Pepin was at 4.6%, and Pierce was at 4.7%. Lafayette County was the fifth-lowest county in November at 5.0%. Menominee County had the highest rate in November at 13.6%, followed by Door at 10.9%, Bayfield at 10.3%, Iron at 9.9%, and Adams at 9.6%.

“As we have noted in the past, St. Croix County and the region along the Wisconsin-Minnesota border continue as bright spots for the state,” said William Rubin, executive director of St. Croix Economic Development Corporation (EDC). “Despite a stubborn and lingering recession, business and industry here are reporting encouraging upticks, and the old adage, ‘one step at a time’ certainly applies to the latest numbers from Workforce Development.”

In addition to St. Croix and Pierce, Polk is the third county that comprises Wisconsin’s St. Croix Valley. Polk County’s unemployment rate for November was 7.4% (down from October’s rate of 7.6%) compared to the 4.7% rate in Pierce and the 4.9% rate in St. Croix. The 13-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area reported an unemployment rate of 5.1% in November compared to 5.4% in October, 6.0% in September, and 6.7% in August. Both St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the federal definition of the 13-county Twin Cities metro area.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in November was estimated at 7.3% and is down from October’s rate of 7.7% and September’s rate of 7.8%. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 7.6%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in Minnesota for November was estimated at 5.9% compared to October’s rate of 6.4% and September’s rate of 6.9%. Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted rate was 7.0% one year ago.

The preliminary unemployment rate in the U.S. in November was estimated at 8.6% compared to October’s rate of 9.0% and the September-August-July rates of 9.1%. One year ago the U.S. rate was estimated at 9.8%.

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