Counties with the highest unemployment in Wisconsin
Despite a relatively low unemployment rate just shy of 4%, as compared to the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Wisconsin using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in April 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.
Economists forecast a waning risk of recession and predict that the U.S. may instead be headed for an incremental slowdown in growth known as a "soft landing." Still, layoffs among major U.S. employers like Amazon to Tesla have sparked concern among Americans. What's more, unemployment has spiked in nearly half the country's states, which often indicates a looming recession, an economist told Business Insider. And with sky-high prices after a period of record inflation, savings and unemployment payments may not cover basic expenses for jobless Americans for long.
For comparison, the Great Recession of 2007-09 sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
Still, as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—little changed from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state vary, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Wisconsin.
#50. Marathon County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 72,573 people (1,930 unemployed)
#49. Brown County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 141,449 people (3,775 unemployed)
#48. Vernon County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,662 people (435 unemployed)
#47. Clark County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,004 people (512 unemployed)
#46. Waupaca County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 25,337 people (721 unemployed)
#45. Manitowoc County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 40,913 people (1,164 unemployed)
#44. Portage County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 38,223 people (1,109 unemployed)
#43. Walworth County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 59,128 people (1,743 unemployed)
#42. Green Lake County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,256 people (282 unemployed)
#41. Juneau County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,763 people (415 unemployed)
#40. Shawano County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,871 people (622 unemployed)
#39. Richland County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,127 people (282 unemployed)
#38. Trempealeau County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,126 people (473 unemployed)
#37. Waushara County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,404 people (370 unemployed)
#36. Door County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,972 people (474 unemployed)
#35. Oconto County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 20,765 people (670 unemployed)
#34. Dunn County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,954 people (803 unemployed)
#33. Langlade County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,385 people (311 unemployed)
#32. Chippewa County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 34,336 people (1,150 unemployed)
#31. Rock County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 88,167 people (2,889 unemployed)
#30. Ashland County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,416 people (250 unemployed)
#29. Marquette County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,816 people (266 unemployed)
#28. Lincoln County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,436 people (494 unemployed)
#27. Kenosha County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 90,822 people (3,116 unemployed)
#26. Wood County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,639 people (1,168 unemployed)
#25. Jackson County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,340 people (336 unemployed)
#24. St. Croix County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 50,701 people (1,847 unemployed)
#23. Oneida County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 17,870 people (661 unemployed)
#22. Pierce County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,024 people (920 unemployed)
#21. Racine County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 99,164 people (3,680 unemployed)
#20. Crawford County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,093 people (273 unemployed)
#19. Taylor County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,747 people (411 unemployed)
#18. Milwaukee County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 460,291 people (17,384 unemployed)
#17. Rusk County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,453 people (250 unemployed)
#16. Washburn County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,607 people (300 unemployed)
#15. Barron County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 24,076 people (934 unemployed)
#14. Buffalo County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,294 people (250 unemployed)
#13. Price County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,451 people (261 unemployed)
#12. Marinette County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,132 people (789 unemployed)
#11. Florence County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,157 people (90 unemployed)
#10. Polk County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,230 people (1,143 unemployed)
#9. Forest County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,931 people (185 unemployed)
#8. Sawyer County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,995 people (374 unemployed)
#7. Adams County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,024 people (377 unemployed)
#6. Douglas County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,870 people (1,065 unemployed)
#5. Vilas County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,077 people (480 unemployed)
#4. Bayfield County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,362 people (358 unemployed)
#3. Burnett County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,482 people (372 unemployed)
#2. Iron County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,570 people (176 unemployed)
#1. Menominee County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,577 people (120 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
