Minnesota Labor Market Tightens

St. Paul – Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped one-tenth percent to 3.2% in September, according to numbers released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). That’s down from 3.3% in August and 3.4% in July. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.5% in September.

“As Minnesota employers continue to struggle to find the workers they need, DEED is continuing to seek ways to expand the pool of available workers,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “We’re working to prepare people who have been out of the labor force to go to work, encouraging employers to reach out to people with disabilities and other groups with higher unemployment rates and seeking solutions to challenges facing people who want to work, including our state’s growing child care shortage.”

Despite the continued tight labor market, job growth is slowing in the state. Minnesota gained 100 jobs in September according to seasonally adjusted figures. August’s job gains where revised downward from 1,100 jobs to 400 jobs gained. Annual job gains in September slipped to 4,989 or 0.2%.

Over the month, six major industry sectors lost jobs. Education and health care saw the largest decline (down 2,400), followed by professional and business services (down 900), information (down 800), other services (down 500), government (down 400) and construction (down 300).

Trade, transportation and utilities had the largest over-the-month gains (up 2,700) followed by financial activities (up 1,300), manufacturing (up 700) and leisure and hospitality (up 700).

Logging and mining held steady in September.

Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) lost 3,690 jobs and Duluth MSA lost 217 jobs over the year. St. Cloud MSA gained the most over the year in September with 957 jobs. Rochester MSA gained 472 jobs, and Mankato MSA gained 494 jobs over the year.

Visit the DEED website to see DEED’s alternative measures of unemployment.

Seasonally Adjusted Not Seasonally Adjusted

Unemployment Rate September 2019 August 2019 September 2019 September 2018

Minnesota 3.2 3.3 2.5 2.3

U.S. 3.5 3.7 3.3 3.6

Employment September 2019 August 2019 September '18 '19 level of Change September '18 '19 % level of Change

Minnesota 2,963,100 2,963,000 4,989 0.2%

U.S. 151,722,000 151,586,000 2,211,00 1.5%

MN OTY Job Change MN OTY Growth Rate US OTY Growth Rate

Total nonfarm 4,989 0.2 1.5

Total Private 4,427 0.2 1.5

Logging and Mining 31 0.4 -0.7

Construction 5,539 4.1 2.9

Manufacturing -1,960 -0.6 0.7

Trade, Transport. and Utilities 795 0.1 -0.1

Information -2,349 -4.8 3.1

Financial Activities 3,531 1.9 1.1

Prof. and Business Services -4,846 -1.3 2.1

Ed. and Health Services -6,139 -1.1 2.7

Leisure and Hospitality 9,439 3.3 2.1

Other Services 386 0.3 1.2

Government 562 0.1 1.2

Metropolitan Statistical Area OTY Employment Change (#, NSA) OTY Employment Change (%, NSA)

Minneapolis-St. Paul MN-WI MSA -3,690 -0.2

Duluth-Superior MN-WI MSA -217 -0.2

Rochester MSA 472 0.4

St. Cloud MSA 957 0.9

Mankato MSA 494 0.8

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DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more information about the agency and its services visit the DEED website or follow DEED on Twitter. You can also watch a video summary of the numbers on DEED's YouTube Channel.