St. Croix’s Unemployment Rate for January Rises to 6.1%

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Reginald J. Newson announced the preliminary January unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties on March 14th. St. Croix County’s rate was estimated at 6.1%, which is up for the second consecutive month. St. Croix’s November 2011 rate was reported at 4.9% and the December rate was 5.2%, and later adjusted to 5.0%. One year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated
at 7.1%.

Secretary Newson said, "We know the 2012 hiring season is ramping up, and we encourage job seekers to move quickly and start pursuing opportunities today under Wisconsin’s improving business climate."

Compared to January 2011, DWD said 70 of the state’s 72 counties had lower unemployment rates and two, Bayfield and Iron counties, experienced higher rates. All 12 metropolitan areas across the state had lower unemployment rates in January 2012 compared to January 2011, and higher rates than in December 2011. The nearby Eau Claire metro area had an increase from 6.0% to 7.0%. Of Wisconsin’s 31 municipalities with a population of least 25,000 residents, all had rate increases over the month and 30 had decreases compared to January 2011.

Dane (4.9%), Calumet (5.7%), La Crosse (5.8%), Ozaukee (6.0%), and Pierce (6.1%) counties had unemployment rates lower than St. Croix in January. Door County had the highest rate in January at 13.5%, followed by Bayfield (13.4%), Iron (12.8%), Menominee (12.7%), and Vilas (12.2%).

"St. Croix County’s slight increase for the second straight month suggests the stubborn economic downturn is still around," said William Rubin, executive director of St. Croix Economic Development Corporation (EDC). "The increase in St. Croix followed the same trend in the 10-county region of west central and northwest Wisconsin. St. Croix and Pierce counties continue to vie for bragging rights among the state’s leaders in low unemployment rates."

St. Croix, Pierce, Polk counties comprise Wisconsin’s St. Croix Valley. Pierce County’s unemployment rate for January was 6.1% (up from the December’s final rate of 5.1%). Polk’s rate also increased from 7.7% to 9.5%. The 13-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI metro area reported an unemployment rate of 5.9% in January compared to 5.5% in December and 5.2% in November. Both St. Croix and Pierce counties are included in the federal definition of the 13-county Twin Cities metro area. One year ago, the unemployment rate in the Twin Cities was 7.0%

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in January was estimated at 6.9%, which is down from December’s final rate of 7.0% and November’s rate of 7.3%. One year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 7.7%.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in Minnesota for January was estimated at 5.6% compared to the December rate of 5.7%. Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted rate was 6.8% one year ago.

The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate in the U.S. in January was estimated at 8.3% compared to the December rate of 8.5% and November’s rate of 8.6%. One year ago the U.S. rate was estimated at 9.1%.

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