So it’s been a weird couple of years for the job market, both near and far. Two years ago at this time, the COVID-19 pandemic had rocketed unemployment rates in the Chippewa Valley (and basically everywhere else) into the stratosphere. Those rates dropped back closer to some sort of “normal” (whatever that means) in the spring of 2021. Since then, they’ve continued to drop, reaching one of the lowest points in the past 30 years. Meanwhile, the number of people with jobs in the Eau Claire metropolitan area (that’s Eau Claire and Chippewa counties combined) has climbed toward historic highs. Here are some details from the statistics compiled by the state Department of Workforce Development.

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