Job expansion in Minnesota: Eight years strong

In September, the Minnesota unemployment rate fell 0.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted 3.7 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2 percent. 

The state gained 6,400 jobs in September. Over the past year, Minnesota gained 41,259 jobs, an increase of 1.4 percent. U.S. job growth, same time period, was 1.2 percent. Read more.

• Professional and business sectors gained 3,600 jobs, leading all other sectors. All gains were in administrative and support, and waste management and remediation services (up 5,000). Management of companies and enterprises lost 200 jobs.
• Education and health services were up 2,000 new jobs and government was up 1,700. Small job gains were realized in other services; financial activities; trade, transportation and utilities; and logging and mining.
• Information and leisure and hospitality both lost 1,700 jobs. Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (down 2,400) was behind the sector’s slowdown. Accommodation and Food Services saw a small 700-job increase.
• Annual (over the year) job growth in Minnesota continued to surpass the US in four of 11 major industry sectors: logging and mining; construction; trade, transportation and utilities; and educational and health services. 

Metropolitan statistical areas

All Metropolitan Statistical Areas gained jobs, in the past 12 months:

• Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (up 2.1 percent)
• Duluth-Superior MSA (up 1.3 percent)
• Rochester MSA (up 0.9 percent)
• Cloud MSA (up 1.3 percent)
• Mankato MSA (up 1.2 percent)

Alternative measures of unemployment

We can get a more complete picture of the state’s labor market by looking at alternative measures of unemployment, and by breaking down the rates by age, gender, and race. The numbers below – from the Current Population Survey – are averages over the past 12 months, and do not fully reflect recent trends.

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