The counties with the highest unemployment rates in North Dakota
STACKER — Unemployment rates have continued to rise across U.S. metropolitan areas, stoking concern throughout the nation and guiding the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates.
As of September, unemployment rates had increased from the previous year in 260 out of 389 U.S. metros areas—including 37 of the 51 largest metros, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. In October, these statistics were both lower than in previous months, indicating that the rate cuts may already be helping stabilize unemployment.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in North Dakota, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in September 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.
In October, the healthcare and government sectors saw employment trend upward, while labor strikes contributed to a decline in manufacturing employment. However, the national unemployment rate still remains relatively low at 4.1% in October , unchanged from the previous month. It remains higher than it has otherwise been since November 2021.
By comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.
The Federal Reserve has shifted its focus from curbing inflation to unemployment, cutting interest rates to alleviate economic strain and spur job growth. Since last year, unemployment has spiked in half of states—a signal often indicating a looming recession, as Piper Sandler Chief Global Economist Nancy Lazar told Business Insider . In September, South Carolina and Utah saw the biggest unemployment rate increases.
These jobless rates, paired with layoffs among major U.S. employers like Google and Tesla, have sparked concern among Americans. Minus a major economic blow, economists continue to forecast that the U.S. is tracking toward an incremental slowdown in growth known as a " soft landing ." The Fed plans to continue cutting rates to achieve this.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in North Dakota.
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#53. Bowman County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.2% — 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points — 1-year change: No change – Total labor force: 1,580 people (19 unemployed)
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#52. Billings County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.3% — 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points — 1-year change: No change – Total labor force: 595 people (8 unemployed)
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#51. Grant County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.3% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,336 people (18 unemployed)
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#50. Dunn County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.3% — 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points – Total labor force: 3,307 people (43 unemployed)
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#49. Foster County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.4% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,568 people (22 unemployed)
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#48. Mountrail County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.4% — 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 6,681 people (95 unemployed)
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#46. Golden Valley County (tie)– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.5% — 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points — 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points – Total labor force: 886 people (13 unemployed)
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#46. Logan County (tie)– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.5% — 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points — 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points – Total labor force: 880 people (13 unemployed)
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#45. Divide County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.5% — 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,365 people (21 unemployed)
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#44. Dickey County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.5% — 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points — 1-year change: No change – Total labor force: 2,293 people (35 unemployed)
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#43. Traill County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.5% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points – Total labor force: 4,601 people (71 unemployed)
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#42. Slope County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.6% — 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points — 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 373 people (6 unemployed)
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#41. Adams County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.6% — 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points – Total labor force: 986 people (16 unemployed)
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#40. Towner County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.6% — 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,179 people (19 unemployed)
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#39. Hettinger County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.6% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,362 people (22 unemployed)
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#38. LaMoure County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.6% — 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points – Total labor force: 2,178 people (34 unemployed)
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#37. McKenzie County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.6% — 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points – Total labor force: 10,484 people (172 unemployed)
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#36. Stutsman County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.6% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points – Total labor force: 10,791 people (175 unemployed)
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#35. Stark County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.6% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points – Total labor force: 18,737 people (295 unemployed)
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#34. Burke County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.7% — 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,091 people (19 unemployed)
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#33. Grand Forks County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.7% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points – Total labor force: 37,773 people (636 unemployed)
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#32. Burleigh County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.7% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points – Total labor force: 51,616 people (857 unemployed)
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#31. Cass County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.7% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 112,314 people (1,954 unemployed)
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#30. Eddy County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.8% — 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points — 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,225 people (22 unemployed)
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#29. Nelson County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.8% — 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,511 people (27 unemployed)
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#28. McLean County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.8% — 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points – Total labor force: 4,728 people (87 unemployed)
#27. Barnes County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.8% — 1-month change: Down 1.5 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points – Total labor force: 5,334 people (98 unemployed)
#26. Richland County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.8% — 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points – Total labor force: 9,047 people (162 unemployed)
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#25. Morton County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.8% — 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points — 1-year change: No change – Total labor force: 17,021 people (311 unemployed)
#24. Williams County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.8% — 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 23,977 people (437 unemployed)
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#23. Wells County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9% — 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,937 people (37 unemployed)
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#22. Ransom County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9% — 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points – Total labor force: 2,664 people (51 unemployed)
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#21. Ramsey County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9% — 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 5,728 people (106 unemployed)
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#20. Ward County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9% — 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points – Total labor force: 32,320 people (628 unemployed)
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#19. Sheridan County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0% — 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points — 1-year change: No change – Total labor force: 666 people (13 unemployed)
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#18. Griggs County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,053 people (21 unemployed)
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#17. McIntosh County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0% — 1-month change: No change — 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,108 people (22 unemployed)
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#16. Renville County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0% — 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,205 people (24 unemployed)
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#15. Benson County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0% — 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points — 1-year change: No change – Total labor force: 2,364 people (48 unemployed)
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#14. Mercer County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0% — 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points – Total labor force: 3,837 people (77 unemployed)
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#13. Oliver County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1% — 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points — 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points – Total labor force: 892 people (19 unemployed)
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#12. Cavalier County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1% — 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,877 people (39 unemployed)
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#11. Bottineau County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points – Total labor force: 3,058 people (64 unemployed)
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#10. McHenry County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1% — 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 3,151 people (66 unemployed)
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#9. Steele County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2% — 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points – Total labor force: 975 people (21 unemployed)
#8. Walsh County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2% — 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 5,292 people (114 unemployed)
#7. Pierce County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4% — 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,729 people (42 unemployed)
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#6. Sargent County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5% — 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points – Total labor force: 2,251 people (56 unemployed)
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#5. Pembina County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5% — 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points – Total labor force: 3,299 people (82 unemployed)
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#4. Kidder County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6% — 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,363 people (35 unemployed)
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#3. Emmons County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6% — 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,483 people (39 unemployed)
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#2. Sioux County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7% — 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points – Total labor force: 1,238 people (34 unemployed)
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#1. Rolette County– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9% — 1-month change: Down 3.8 percentage points — 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points – Total labor force: 4,731 people (183 unemployed)
