(The Center Square) – The unemployment rate rose slightly in 11 of the 12 metropolitan areas in Wisconsin in December while the rates lowered year over year in seven of those areas.

The exception was the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis area, which again remained at 3.0% unemployment.

The rates rose in 22 of the largest 35 cities in the state as well.

This comes as state’s adjusted unemployment rate rose to 3.0% but remained below the 4.1% rate national, according to numbers released last week.

The unemployment rates across the state remained the same in Dane and Milwaukee counties but rose in the rest of the counties across the state. Overall, 55 counties saw unemployment rates lower or remain the same year over year.

The state’s lowest unemployment rate is 2.1% in Dane and Lafayette counties with Green (2.2%), Calumet (2.3%), Kewaunee (2.3%) and Sheboygan (2.3%) next.

The state’s highest December unemployment rates were in Iron (5.2%), Adams (5.0%), Bayfield (4.8%) and Buffalo (4.6%) counties.

There were a record 3,076,500 employed in the state in December.