Contact:
Bill Rubin/Jacki Bradham
St. Croix EDC
715-381-4383
71 of 72 Counties Also Report Higher Rates
On March 30th, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Manny Perez announced the preliminary February unemployment rates for Wisconsin’s 72 counties. St. Croix’s rate was estimated at 7.6% which is higher than the January rate of 7.0%. A year ago, the county’s unemployment rate was estimated at 9.8%.
DWD said 71 of the state’s 72 counties had higher unemployment rates from January to February. Only Kenosha County’s rate declined.
Nine counties had unemployment rates lower than St. Croix in February. Dane County recorded the lowest rate at 5.5%, followed by La Crosse at 6.5%, Ozaukee at 6.8%, and Eau Claire at 6.8%. Door County had the highest rate in February at 13.9%, followed by Menominee at 13.7%, Rusk at 13.5%, and Bayfield County at 13.4%.
“Unemployment rates remain high across the region, but there’s some encouraging news,” said William Rubin, executive director of St. Croix Economic Development Corporation (EDC). “A national story, also released on March 30th, indicates U.S. employers added 201,000 jobs in March. Economists said the jobs estimate is in line with forecasts,” added Rubin. “Ever so slowly, the economic recovery continues.”
The preliminary (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate for Wisconsin in February was estimated at 7.4%, which is same rate as January but lower than December’s rate of 7.5%. The state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 9.1% one year ago.
The preliminary unemployment rate in the U.S. in December was estimated at 8.9% which is lower than the January rate of 9.0% and December’s rate of 9.4%. One year ago the U.S. rate was estimated at 9.7%.
February’s estimates are preliminary and are subject to revision within the next few weeks.
