Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Minnesota

Written by:
November 15, 2022
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Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Minnesota

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Minnesota using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.

#50. Brown County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 13,145 (222 unemployed)

#49. Dakota County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 244,557 (4,158 unemployed)

#48. Goodhue County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 25,840 (452 unemployed)

#47. Marshall County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 5,057 (84 unemployed)

#46. Martin County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 8,999 (152 unemployed)

#45. Mower County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 20,011 (345 unemployed)

#44. Redwood County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 7,120 (118 unemployed)

#43. Stearns County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 89,668 (1,498 unemployed)

#42. Cottonwood County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 6,486 (117 unemployed)

#41. Kandiyohi County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 22,150 (395 unemployed)

#40. Kittson County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 2,139 (38 unemployed)

#39. McLeod County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 18,445 (331 unemployed)

#38. Pennington County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 8,503 (155 unemployed)

#37. Polk County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 15,445 (278 unemployed)

#36. Sherburne County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 53,396 (944 unemployed)

#35. Swift County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 4,483 (82 unemployed)

#34. Todd County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 12,853 (230 unemployed)

#33. Anoka County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 200,438 (3,760 unemployed)

#32. Beltrami County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 23,787 (457 unemployed)

#31. Benton County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 21,587 (415 unemployed)

#30. Cass County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 17,093 (331 unemployed)

#29. Chisago County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 30,065 (560 unemployed)

#28. Cook County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 2,947 (56 unemployed)

#27. Crow Wing County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 31,867 (605 unemployed)

#26. Freeborn County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 14,816 (283 unemployed)

#25. Hennepin County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 712,429 (13,514 unemployed)

#24. Isanti County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 21,761 (422 unemployed)

#23. Sibley County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 8,000 (153 unemployed)

#22. Steele County

- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 18,840 (356 unemployed)

#21. Faribault County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 6,739 (132 unemployed)

#20. Morrison County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 16,838 (334 unemployed)

#19. Ramsey County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 288,327 (5,833 unemployed)

#18. Carlton County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 17,411 (360 unemployed)

#17. Kanabec County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 8,930 (191 unemployed)

#16. Norman County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 3,077 (64 unemployed)

#15. Red Lake County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 2,116 (45 unemployed)

#14. Waseca County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 8,472 (179 unemployed)

#13. Hubbard County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 10,182 (229 unemployed)

#12. Mille Lacs County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 12,574 (280 unemployed)

#11. Pine County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 13,847 (307 unemployed)

#10. St. Louis County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 99,800 (2,163 unemployed)

#9. Renville County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 7,959 (184 unemployed)

#8. Aitkin County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 7,287 (174 unemployed)

#7. Wadena County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 5,743 (135 unemployed)

#6. Itasca County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 20,460 (515 unemployed)

#5. Koochiching County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 5,442 (141 unemployed)

#4. Lake of the Woods County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 2,293 (59 unemployed)

#3. Clearwater County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 4,420 (130 unemployed)

#2. Mahnomen County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 2,121 (64 unemployed)

#1. Lake County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +2.1%
- Total labor force: 5,448 (250 unemployed)

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