Jobless rate drops in Minnesota

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The Minnesota unemployment rate dropped 0.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted 6.6 percent in March, according to figures released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The U.S. rate in March was 8.8 percent.

The state gained 2,800 jobs during the month, while February's job gains were revised upward by 300 to 1,600 new jobs. The number of jobs in the state has grown by 0.8 percent over the past year, compared with a U.S. growth rate of 1 percent during that period.

"The March figures reflect a continuing pattern of slow but steady progress in the Minnesota labor market," said DEED Commissioner Mark Phillips. "Through the first three months of the year, we've gained 7,300 jobs."

Leisure and hospitality led all sectors during the month, adding 1,900 jobs. Other job gains in March occurred in education and health services (up 1,500), construction (up 1,200), manufacturing (up 300), trade, transportation and utilities (up 300), and other services (up 100).

Job losses occurred in March in professional and business services (down 1,200), financial activities (down 800), government (down 300), information (down 100), and logging and mining (down 100).

The following sectors have added jobs over the past year: manufacturing (up 7,800), professional and business services (up 7,800), education and health services (up 5,500), trade, transportation and utilities (up 2,700), other services (up 2,100), and logging and mining (up 800).

Over-the-year job losses have occurred in construction (down 2,200), government (down 1,900), leisure and hospitality (down 1,600), financial activities (down 1,100) and information (down 300).

In the state Metropolitan Statistical Areas, job gains occurred in the past 12 months in the St. Cloud MSA (up 2 percent), Mankato MSA (up 1.1 percent), Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (up 0.8 percent), Rochester MSA (up 0.5 percent) and Duluth-Superior MSA (up 0.1 percent).

DEED is the state's principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development.

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