Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
#50. Jefferson County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 46,103 (1,332 unemployed)
#49. Ozaukee County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 48,904 (1,428 unemployed)
#48. Richland County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 8,726 (255 unemployed)
#47. St. Croix County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 51,080 (1,477 unemployed)
#46. Sauk County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 33,809 (994 unemployed)
#45. Trempealeau County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 14,483 (421 unemployed)
#44. Vernon County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.5%
- Total labor force: 14,825 (432 unemployed)
#43. Winnebago County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 91,890 (2,647 unemployed)
#42. Grant County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.6%
- Total labor force: 26,426 (792 unemployed)
#41. Lincoln County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 14,541 (432 unemployed)
#40. Manitowoc County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 40,306 (1,194 unemployed)
#39. Oneida County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 17,967 (541 unemployed)
#38. Pierce County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 24,969 (743 unemployed)
#37. Portage County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 37,529 (1,141 unemployed)
#36. Barron County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 23,780 (738 unemployed)
#35. Chippewa County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 32,805 (1,011 unemployed)
#34. Dunn County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.5%
- Total labor force: 24,038 (734 unemployed)
#33. Shawano County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 20,011 (615 unemployed)
#32. Walworth County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 57,741 (1,770 unemployed)
#31. Waupaca County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.5%
- Total labor force: 25,143 (790 unemployed)
#30. Oconto County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 20,298 (651 unemployed)
#29. Polk County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 24,325 (781 unemployed)
#28. Green Lake County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 9,277 (308 unemployed)
#27. Juneau County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 13,066 (428 unemployed)
#26. Marquette County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 7,652 (253 unemployed)
#25. Washburn County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 7,650 (255 unemployed)
#24. Sawyer County
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 8,029 (275 unemployed)
#23. Wood County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 33,615 (1,155 unemployed)
#22. Crawford County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 6,996 (245 unemployed)
#21. Kenosha County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 92,469 (3,211 unemployed)
#20. Rusk County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 6,263 (221 unemployed)
#19. Vilas County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 10,429 (368 unemployed)
#18. Waushara County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 10,901 (377 unemployed)
#17. Ashland County
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 7,594 (270 unemployed)
#16. Buffalo County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 5,892 (213 unemployed)
#15. Florence County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 2,129 (77 unemployed)
#14. Langlade County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 9,118 (330 unemployed)
#13. Price County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 6,079 (217 unemployed)
#12. Douglas County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 23,201 (868 unemployed)
#11. Jackson County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 9,167 (340 unemployed)
#10. Rock County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 85,331 (3,143 unemployed)
#9. Marinette County
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 18,931 (719 unemployed)
#8. Racine County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 96,577 (3,656 unemployed)
#7. Burnett County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 7,144 (285 unemployed)
#6. Bayfield County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 7,392 (302 unemployed)
#5. Milwaukee County
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 463,458 (19,712 unemployed)
#4. Adams County
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 7,737 (362 unemployed)
#3. Forest County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 3,767 (187 unemployed)
#2. Iron County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.8%
- Total labor force: 2,457 (125 unemployed)
#1. Menominee County
--- 1 month change: -2.9%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 1,478 (87 unemployed)