St. Croix County’s Unemployment Rate for October Holds at 4.9%

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Reggie Newson announced the preliminary October unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties on November 23rd. St. Croix County’s rate was estimated at 4.9% which is the same as the September rate and down August’s rate of 5.8% and the July rate of 6.3%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 5.7%.

DWD said 60 of the state’s 72 counties had lower unemployment rates or no change in October compared to September, as did 30 of Wisconsin’s 31 largest municipalities. All 12 metropolitan areas across the state reported lower unemployment rates from September to October. “In comparing job totals a year ago, six metro areas added jobs, including metro Milwaukee with a gain of 6,300 jobs,” said DWD Secretary Newson. “Statewide, Wisconsin gained 14,500 private sector jobs over the year. The manufacturing sector alone has 10,600 more jobs than a year ago.”

Only Pepin and Pierce counties had an unemployment rates lower than St. Croix in October. Both counties reported rates of 4.8%. Dane County recorded the fourth-lowest rate at 4.9% (down from 5.1% in September), followed by Iowa at 5.0% (unchanged from September), and La Crosse at 5.2% (down from 5.5% in September). Menominee County had the highest rate in October at 13.1% (down from 13.9%), followed Iron at 9.2%, Adams at 9.0%, Door at 8.9%, and Rusk at 8.8%.

“St. Croix County and the greater St. Croix Valley along the Wisconsin-Minnesota border continue as bright spots for the state,” said William Rubin, executive director of St. Croix Economic Development Corporation (EDC). “Economic reports suggest a slowly-improving economy so DWD’s news on lower and stable unemployment rates here is encouraging.”

Wisconsin’s St. Croix Valley is comprised of Polk, St. Croix, and Pierce counties. Polk County’s rate was at 7.6% (unchanged from September) as compared to the 4.8% 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 5.4% in October compared to 6.0% in September and 6.7% in August. The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in Minnesota for October was announced at 6.4% compared to 6.9% in September.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in October was estimated at 7.7% which is down from September’s rate of 7.8% and August’s rate of 7.9%. The state’s seasonally adjusted rate was also 7.7% one year ago.

The preliminary unemployment rate in the U.S. in October was estimated at 9.0% compared to the September-August-July rates of 9.1%. One year ago the U.S. rate was estimated at 9.7%.

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