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 North Dakota using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
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#53. Divide County
- Current unemployment rate: 0.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 1,426 (12 unemployed)
2 / 53
#52. Billings County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 513 (5 unemployed)
3 / 53
#51. Dunn County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 3,150 (34 unemployed)
4 / 53
#50. Bowman County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 1,578 (19 unemployed)
6 / 53
#48. LaMoure County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 2,090 (26 unemployed)
7 / 53
#47. McIntosh County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 1,065 (13 unemployed)
8 / 53
#46. Sargent County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 2,373 (28 unemployed)
9 / 53
#45. Steele County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 924 (11 unemployed)
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#44. Dickey County
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#43. Foster County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 1,494 (20 unemployed)
12 / 53
#42. Hettinger County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 1,423 (18 unemployed)
13 / 53
#41. Mountrail County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 6,230 (81 unemployed)
14 / 53
#40. Cass County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 108,696 (1,469 unemployed)
15 / 53
#39. Grant County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 1,179 (16 unemployed)
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16 / 53
#38. Burke County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 1,037 (16 unemployed)
17 / 53
#37. Burleigh County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 51,891 (773 unemployed)
18 / 53
#36. Grand Forks County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 36,983 (545 unemployed)
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#35. Logan County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 860 (13 unemployed)
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#34. Ransom County
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#33. Richland County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 8,751 (127 unemployed)
22 / 53
#32. Stutsman County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 10,348 (155 unemployed)
23 / 53
#31. Barnes County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 5,269 (82 unemployed)
24 / 53
#30. Towner County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 1,125 (18 unemployed)
25 / 53
#29. Traill County
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#28. Adams County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 930 (16 unemployed)
27 / 53
#27. Cavalier County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 1,907 (32 unemployed)
28 / 53
#26. Ramsey County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 5,750 (97 unemployed)
29 / 53
#25. Renville County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 1,209 (20 unemployed)
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#24. Stark County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 17,813 (298 unemployed)
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31 / 53
#23. Morton County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 17,039 (311 unemployed)
32 / 53
#22. Oliver County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 879 (16 unemployed)
33 / 53
#21. Sheridan County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 659 (12 unemployed)
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#20. Ward County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 31,771 (557 unemployed)
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#19. McKenzie County
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#18. Slope County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 351 (7 unemployed)
37 / 53
#17. Eddy County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 1,213 (26 unemployed)
38 / 53
#16. Golden Valley County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: +0.7%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 850 (18 unemployed)
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#15. Wells County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 1,910 (40 unemployed)
40 / 53
#14. Bottineau County
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#13. Nelson County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 1,457 (32 unemployed)
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#12. Pierce County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 1,662 (36 unemployed)
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#11. Sioux County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.9%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 1,229 (27 unemployed)
44 / 53
#10. McHenry County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 3,179 (73 unemployed)
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#9. McLean County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 4,739 (109 unemployed)
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46 / 53
#8. Walsh County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.3%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 5,203 (121 unemployed)
47 / 53
#7. Williams County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -2.5%
- Total labor force: 21,350 (506 unemployed)
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#6. Benson County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 2,349 (59 unemployed)
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#5. Mercer County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 3,699 (94 unemployed)
50 / 53
#4. Pembina County
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#3. Kidder County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 1,322 (38 unemployed)
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#2. Emmons County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 1,460 (47 unemployed)
53 / 53
#1. Rolette County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.5%
--- 1 month change: -6.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 4,706 (261 unemployed)