Minneapolis-St. Paul was the only Metropolitan Statistical Area to lose jobs on the year, according to numbers released by the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Between November 2018 and November 2019, Minneapolis-St. Paul lost 5,729 jobs while the four remaining Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) all gained jobs. The Mankato MSA gained 1,518 jobs over year, the largest gain of any Minnesota MSA, according to DEED. The next largest gain came from the Rochester MSA (up 1,253), followed by St. Cloud (up 1,016) and Duluth-Superior (up 12).
According to DEED, the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA lost 3,690 jobs in September and 908 jobs in October.
Overall, Minnesota gained 5,911 jobs from November 2018 to November 2019, but lost 3,000 jobs in November of this year. The state’s unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percent between October and November from 3.2 percent to 3.3 percent. The national unemployment rate fell a tenth of a percent to 3.5 percent in November.
“The fall and winter months tend to be unpredictable for job growth because of the seasonal effects of weather,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “Strong wage growth and one of the highest labor force participation rates in the nation both suggest that the state continues to experience a tight labor market.”
Minnesota’s labor force participation rate held at 70.3 percent for the month of November.
President Donald Trump touted his economic successes in a recent end-of-the-year letter to the nation’s “incredible federal workforce.”
To Our Incredible Federal Workforce: pic.twitter.com/zIyXW834H5
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2019
“Our country has never been stronger,” wrote the president. “Almost 160 million great Americans are working—more than ever before—the unemployment rate is at a 50-year-low, and wages are up substantially for the first time in decades. Our economy is thriving and the stock market has set more than 130 record highs over the last 3 years.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
