Counties with the highest unemployment in Minnesota

Written by:
Stacker
April 8, 2024
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Counties with the highest unemployment in Minnesota

While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Minnesota using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.

The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Minnesota.

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#50. Steele County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 17,998 people (712 unemployed)

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SevenMaps // Shutterstock

#49. Traverse County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,564 people (64 unemployed)

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Joe Ferrer // Shutterstock

#48. Fillmore County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,746 people (478 unemployed)

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Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#47. Wright County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 77,556 people (3,158 unemployed)

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#46. St. Louis County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 100,339 people (4,090 unemployed)

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SevenMaps // Shutterstock

#45. Swift County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,919 people (209 unemployed)

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#44. Lake County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,145 people (217 unemployed)

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#43. Cottonwood County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,751 people (242 unemployed)

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#42. Pope County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,297 people (263 unemployed)

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#41. Faribault County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,948 people (294 unemployed)

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Bob Pool // Shutterstock

#40. Dodge County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,299 people (521 unemployed)

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Joe Ferrer // Shutterstock

#39. Brown County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,846 people (597 unemployed)

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#38. McLeod County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,358 people (827 unemployed)

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#37. Sherburne County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 53,780 people (2,324 unemployed)

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#36. Pipestone County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,535 people (205 unemployed)

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#35. Becker County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,393 people (876 unemployed)

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#34. Beltrami County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,890 people (1,123 unemployed)

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Kallie Kantos // Shutterstock

#33. Koochiching County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,645 people (261 unemployed)

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Sam Wagner // Shutterstock

#32. Meeker County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,912 people (633 unemployed)

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Joe Ferrer // Shutterstock

#31. Carlton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,653 people (837 unemployed)

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#30. Chisago County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,365 people (1,414 unemployed)

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GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock

#29. Benton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,991 people (1,064 unemployed)

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#28. Lincoln County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,039 people (148 unemployed)

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Alberto Felipe Gallardo // Shutterstock

#27. Sibley County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,151 people (396 unemployed)

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#26. Otter Tail County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,715 people (1,513 unemployed)

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#25. Big Stone County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 2,324 people (119 unemployed)

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#24. Crow Wing County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,654 people (1,733 unemployed)

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#23. Norman County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 3,151 people (164 unemployed)

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#22. Todd County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,878 people (723 unemployed)

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JTrnka // Shutterstock

#21. Mahnomen County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,316 people (125 unemployed)

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#20. Renville County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 7,859 people (426 unemployed)

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Joel McCartan // Shutterstock

#19. Murray County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,505 people (248 unemployed)

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#18. Red Lake County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,148 people (120 unemployed)

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#17. Pennington County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,698 people (486 unemployed)

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#16. Cook County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,753 people (158 unemployed)

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#15. Grant County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,178 people (180 unemployed)

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Jack Linell // Shutterstock

#14. Waseca County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,312 people (470 unemployed)

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#13. Isanti County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 22,215 people (1,278 unemployed)

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#12. Le Sueur County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,270 people (991 unemployed)

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vagabond54 // Shutterstock

#11. Marshall County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,362 people (340 unemployed)

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#10. Itasca County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,696 people (1,360 unemployed)

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Debbie Center // Shutterstock

#9. Hubbard County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,034 people (644 unemployed)

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#8. Wadena County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,179 people (431 unemployed)

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#7. Aitkin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,496 people (525 unemployed)

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#6. Cass County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,579 people (1,016 unemployed)

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#5. Morrison County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,757 people (1,239 unemployed)

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Joe Ferrer // Shutterstock

#4. Pine County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,676 people (1,089 unemployed)

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Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#3. Mille Lacs County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,072 people (1,003 unemployed)

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#2. Kanabec County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,417 people (750 unemployed)

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#1. Clearwater County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,629 people (403 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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