Counties in Minnesota by unemployment rate

Clearwater County had the highest unemployment rate of 87 counties in December 2025, at 11%. Rock County had the lowest, at 3%. The median was 4.9% and the figure for Minnesota was 4.2%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Median4.987 counties
Minnesota4.2History

Top 40 counties, December 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Clearwater CountyClearwater County: 11 %11Kanabec CountyKanabec County: 11 %11Pine CountyPine County: 9.6 %9.6Aitkin CountyAitkin County: 9.2 %9.2Cass CountyCass County: 8.7 %8.7Mille Lacs CountyMille Lacs County: 8.3 %8.3Morrison CountyMorrison County: 8.1 %8.1Marshall CountyMarshall County: 7.9 %7.9Hubbard CountyHubbard County: 7.6 %7.6Wadena CountyWadena County: 7.5 %7.5Itasca CountyItasca County: 7.2 %7.2Cook CountyCook County: 7.1 %7.1Swift CountySwift County: 7.1 %7.1Le Sueur CountyLe Sueur County: 7 %7Pennington CountyPennington County: 6.9 %6.9Todd CountyTodd County: 6.9 %6.9Isanti CountyIsanti County: 6.4 %6.4Mahnomen CountyMahnomen County: 6.4 %6.4Murray CountyMurray County: 6.4 %6.4Crow Wing CountyCrow Wing County: 6.3 %6.3Red Lake CountyRed Lake County: 6.2 %6.2Lake of the Woods CountyLake of the Woods County: 6.1 %6.1Becker CountyBecker County: 6 %6Renville CountyRenville County: 6 %6Benton CountyBenton County: 5.9 %5.9Otter Tail CountyOtter Tail County: 5.9 %5.9Carlton CountyCarlton County: 5.8 %5.8Grant CountyGrant County: 5.8 %5.8Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.8 %5.8Meeker CountyMeeker County: 5.7 %5.7Sibley CountySibley County: 5.7 %5.7Faribault CountyFaribault County: 5.6 %5.6Koochiching CountyKoochiching County: 5.6 %5.6Beltrami CountyBeltrami County: 5.5 %5.5Chisago CountyChisago County: 5.2 %5.2Steele CountySteele County: 5.2 %5.2Big Stone CountyBig Stone County: 5.1 %5.1Yellow Medicine CountyYellow Medicine County: 5.1 %5.1Chippewa CountyChippewa County: 5 %5Lake CountyLake County: 5 %5
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1Clearwater County11+2.7 pts
1Kanabec County11+3.5 pts
3Pine County9.6+2.9 pts
4Aitkin County9.2+2.7 pts
5Cass County8.7+2.7 pts
6Mille Lacs County8.3+2.7 pts
7Morrison County8.1+2.7 pts
8Marshall County7.9+2.3 pts
9Hubbard County7.6+1.9 pts
10Wadena County7.5+2.3 pts
11Itasca County7.2+2 pts
12Cook County7.1+2.4 pts
12Swift County7.1+1.6 pts
14Le Sueur County7+1.8 pts
15Pennington County6.9-0.2 pts
15Todd County6.9+2 pts
17Isanti County6.4+1.9 pts
17Mahnomen County6.4+1.7 pts
17Murray County6.4+2.4 pts
20Crow Wing County6.3+1.8 pts
21Red Lake County6.2+0.2 pts
22Lake of the Woods County6.1+1.2 pts
23Becker County6+1.7 pts
23Renville County6+1.9 pts
25Benton County5.9+1.8 pts
25Otter Tail County5.9+1.7 pts
27Carlton County5.8+1.6 pts
27Grant County5.8+1 pts
27Lincoln County5.8+2.1 pts
30Meeker County5.7+1.7 pts
30Sibley County5.7+1.4 pts
32Faribault County5.6+1.9 pts
32Koochiching County5.6+1.5 pts
34Beltrami County5.5+1.3 pts
35Chisago County5.2+1.4 pts
35Steele County5.2+1.9 pts
37Big Stone County5.1+1.4 pts
37Yellow Medicine County5.1+1.9 pts
39Chippewa County5+1.6 pts
39Lake County5+1.3 pts
39Pipestone County5+1.8 pts
39Waseca County5+1.1 pts
43Kandiyohi County4.9+1.6 pts
43McLeod County4.9+1.3 pts
45Pope County4.8+1 pts
45St. Louis County4.8+1.5 pts
47Sherburne County4.7+1.4 pts
48Stearns County4.6+1.4 pts
49Douglas County4.5+1.4 pts
49Jackson County4.5+1.7 pts
49Norman County4.5+0.5 pts
52Dodge County4.4+1.4 pts
52Freeborn County4.4+1.7 pts
52Goodhue County4.4+1.4 pts
52Lyon County4.4+1.5 pts
52Polk County4.4+1.3 pts
52Rice County4.4+1.3 pts
52Wright County4.4+1.4 pts
59Fillmore County4.3+1.1 pts
59Martin County4.3+1.5 pts
61Brown County4.2+1.2 pts
61Kittson County4.2+0.6 pts
61Roseau County4.2+0.7 pts
64Anoka County4.1+1.2 pts
64Cottonwood County4.1+0.9 pts
64Mower County4.1+1.5 pts
64Wabasha County4.1+0.7 pts
64Watonwan County4.1+1.2 pts
69Redwood County4+1.2 pts
70Ramsey County3.9+1.2 pts
70Traverse County3.9+1.1 pts
72Clay County3.8+1.3 pts
72Dakota County3.8+1.2 pts
72Houston County3.8+1 pts
72Scott County3.8+1.3 pts
72Wilkin County3.8+0.9 pts
77Hennepin County3.7+1.1 pts
77Stevens County3.7+0.7 pts
79Blue Earth County3.6+1.1 pts
79Carver County3.6+1.2 pts
79Lac qui Parle County3.6+1.2 pts
79Washington County3.6+1.2 pts
83Nicollet County3.5+1.1 pts
84Nobles County3.4+1.3 pts
84Winona County3.4+1 pts
86Olmsted County3.2+0.9 pts
87Rock County3+1.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Clearwater County, with 11% in December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Rock County, with 3% in December 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Minnesota: more rankings