DEED: Minnesota adds 14,400 jobs in August

Minnesota saw its largest monthly employment increase in more than two years last month as state employers added 14,400 jobs, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development said Thursday.

Employment grew by 0.5% in Minnesota, though the state’s unemployment rate ticked up to 3.3% and the labor force was flat over the month, DEED said. The national unemployment rate is 4.2%.

“This is a great month for Minnesota’s jobs market,” DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in a press release. “We added the most jobs in a single month in two years, reflecting employers’ ongoing appetite to hire more workers.”

The Leisure & Hospitality led the way with 4,300 jobs added. Education & Health Services (up 4,200 jobs) and Professional & Business Services (up 3,900 jobs) also posted significant gains.

Sectors with job losses included Construction (down 900), Manufacturing (down 700), and Mining & Logging (down 100).

DEED also said the Bureau of Labor Statistics revised last month’s employment figures. Under the revised number, Minnesota gained 2,500 jobs from June to July, DEED said, adding that wages grew twice as fast as inflation.

“Over the last several months, we have seen strong wage growth in Minnesota,” Labor Market Information Director Angelina Nguyen said in the release. “Wage growth has consistently outpaced inflation, which is a good thing as we work to attract and retain talented workers for our labor force.”