How unemployment in Milwaukee County compares to the rest of the state

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Here's how unemployment in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin compares

Milwaukee County's unemployment rate in December was 3.3%—ranked #28 highest out of 72 in the state.

Nationally, unemployment has leveled with pre-COVID rates , measuring between 3.5% and 4% for most of the past two years. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed a 3.7% unemployment rate in January. Previously, unemployment skyrocketed to 14.7% at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, and those rates remained elevated through late 2021.

Though national unemployment has mostly normalized, local economies vary widely. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to analyze unemployment in Milwaukee County over time, and how it stacks up within Wisconsin and across the nation.

The unemployment rate in Milwaukee County is 0.4 percentage points below the national level, and equal to the state level. It ranks #28 among counties in Wisconsin —ranked first by the preliminary December 2023 unemployment rate, then breaking ties by the number of unemployed people. It trails behind Florence County, with an unemployment rate of 3.4%, but surpasses Door County (which has the same unemployment rate).

In real terms, it means an estimated 15,483 of Milwaukee County's approximately 463,448 working residents are out of a job at the moment. That's 1,569 fewer than last month and 3,655 more than a year ago. Some economists fret another recession may be on the horizon, which would drive unemployment up with business closures and layoffs.

This story was produced using automation across 3,100 counties, boroughs, and parishes, based on writing and data reporting by Paxtyn Merten.