Minnesota Adds Jobs At Twice the National Rate In March

(KNSI) – Minnesota’s unemployment rate remains stuck at a very healthy 2.7%.

In March, the labor force increased by 3,018, which was almost perfectly offset by the number of hires seen across the state at 3,029. The jobless figure stayed steady while the labor force participation rate rose one-tenth of a percent to 68.0%. That is generally viewed as a positive sign by economists.

The state gained 11,000 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis, or a 0.4% change. That pace is double the national average for the month. The figures were likely again aided by a generally mild winter. Construction was up 2.1%, or 2,700 jobs. Road projects, like the Highway 23/10 interchange work here in St. Cloud, got started earlier than normal. MnDOT’s Rob Abfalter says crews were able to begin about three weeks prior to what the agency anticipated in its master schedule.

Leisure and hospitality soared by 5,000 jobs, or 1.9%. ‘Government’ and ‘education and health’ were both up by at least 2,800 jobs. The sectors losing jobs were financial activities, information, and professional and business services.

In the past year, the St. Cloud area has added 1,347 jobs, equaling growth of 1.3%. That’s about average for the state’s biggest cities. Minneapolis-St. Paul saw an employment change of 1.2%, while Duluth was flat, and Mankato clocked in at 0.6%. The area seeing the best growth was Rochester, at 3.3%.

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