Counties with the highest unemployment in Minnesota

2024 ended on a high note, with the unemployment rate relatively unchanged at 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Jan. 10.

Unemployment rates were higher in November than the prior year in 308 of 389 metro areas, though they dropped in 60 areas and remained unchanged in 21 areas, the BLS reported.

The lion's share of job growth remained in government, social assistance, and health care, with openings in nursing, residential care facilities, and home health care leading employment in the latter sector.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Minnesota, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in November 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.

Key takeaways: Biden's economic legacy, inauguration day, and immigration's impact on jobs

The latest BLS report highlights the final job figures under the Biden administration, giving the outgoing president a win during his final weeks in office. President Biden highlighted the creation of 16.6 million jobs during his term in a Jan. 11 statement.

"Although I inherited the worst economic crisis in decades with unemployment above 6% when I took office, we've had the lowest average unemployment rate of any administration in 50 years with unemployment at 4.1% as I leave," he said.

Incoming President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a strong economy, with forecasts tracking ongoing growth into 2025. However, uncertainty remains. Trump's proposed tariffs on foreign goods coupled with a sweeping deportation operation may have a significant impact on the economy, accelerating inflation and tamping down job growth, some experts forecast.

"I worry that immigration will be significantly lower than the long-term average of 1.0 million. I worry that tariffs will be universal and lead to a trade war. That would not be good for the economy and earnings," Hugh Johnson, chairman emeritus at Graypoint, told U.S. News.

What does all this mean for middle-class Americans? The unemployment rate is projected to remain stable, only creeping up to 4.3%, according to the Federal Reserve's latest Summary of Economic Projections. Experts suggest paying down mortgages, revisiting investment strategies, and paying attention to taxes before rates possibly shift as Inauguration Day draws close.

The big story: California wildfires still rage

Although Goldman predicts only a "modest drag" on U.S. jobs due to the devastating California wildfires, the situation is still ongoing. Small businesses destroyed by the fires will impact local jobs; in the wake of the fires, a surge in construction and the need for labor and materials might lead to localized shortages and rising costs, impacting several industries.

However, amid political and environmental uncertainty, it's unclear which way the winds will blow. Americans will have to simply wait for the smoke to clear.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Minnesota.

#50. Dakota County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 240,302 people (6,544 unemployed)

#49. Kittson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,341 people (66 unemployed)

#48. Norman County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,353 people (98 unemployed)

#47. Pennington County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,584 people (251 unemployed)

#46. Martin County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,089 people (296 unemployed)

#45. Meeker County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,267 people (412 unemployed)

#44. Wright County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 76,447 people (2,234 unemployed)

#43. Stearns County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 91,560 people (2,630 unemployed)

#42. Hennepin County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 699,826 people (20,501 unemployed)

#41. Grant County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,352 people (101 unemployed)

#40. Cottonwood County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,468 people (196 unemployed)

#39. Pope County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,548 people (197 unemployed)

#38. Roseau County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,261 people (246 unemployed)

#37. Steele County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,055 people (538 unemployed)

#36. Becker County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,559 people (587 unemployed)

#35. Sherburne County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 52,748 people (1,577 unemployed)

#34. Anoka County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 197,188 people (5,871 unemployed)

#33. McLeod County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,430 people (603 unemployed)

#32. Otter Tail County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,552 people (970 unemployed)

#31. Ramsey County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 283,395 people (8,666 unemployed)

#30. Marshall County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,660 people (182 unemployed)

#29. Faribault County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,361 people (235 unemployed)

#28. Sibley County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,453 people (273 unemployed)

#27. Beltrami County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,071 people (810 unemployed)

#26. St. Louis County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 98,718 people (3,206 unemployed)

#25. Lake County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,263 people (178 unemployed)

#24. Renville County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,632 people (290 unemployed)

#23. Chisago County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,907 people (1,025 unemployed)

#22. Le Sueur County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,017 people (567 unemployed)

#21. Carlton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,364 people (610 unemployed)

#20. Benton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,065 people (798 unemployed)

#19. Mahnomen County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,381 people (88 unemployed)

#18. Crow Wing County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,770 people (1,261 unemployed)

#17. Waseca County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,516 people (321 unemployed)

#16. Isanti County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,675 people (815 unemployed)

#15. Morrison County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,029 people (695 unemployed)

#14. Red Lake County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,212 people (88 unemployed)

#13. Todd County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,401 people (578 unemployed)

#12. Lake of the Woods County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,294 people (99 unemployed)

#11. Cook County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,835 people (121 unemployed)

#10. Wadena County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,199 people (270 unemployed)

#9. Pine County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,556 people (636 unemployed)

#8. Itasca County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,599 people (956 unemployed)

#7. Hubbard County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,219 people (469 unemployed)

#6. Mille Lacs County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,664 people (579 unemployed)

#5. Cass County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,704 people (681 unemployed)

#4. Koochiching County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,596 people (264 unemployed)

#3. Clearwater County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,680 people (226 unemployed)

#2. Aitkin County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,512 people (368 unemployed)

#1. Kanabec County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,333 people (457 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Elena Cox, writing by Alizah Salario, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.