State gains 1,200 jobs in May

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ST. PAUL - Minnesota employers added 1,200 jobs in May, according to figures released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

The state unemployment rate rose 0.1 percent in May to a seasonally adjusted 6.6 percent, compared with a U.S. rate of 9.1 percent. In addition, the agency said the April job count for Minnesota was revised to reflect a loss of 2,600 jobs instead of the 5,200 job losses that were originally reported.

"The private sector in Minnesota has shown steady improvement, adding 7,300 jobs in the past two months," said DEED Commissioner Mark Phillips. "Initial claims for unemployment benefits continue to drop, and the Help Wanted OnLine count of advertised job vacancies in Minnesota jumped 14,000 in May, the third-biggest increase among all states."

Construction led all sectors in May, adding 2,200 jobs. Other gains occurred in professional and business services (up 1,900), financial activities (up 500), trade, transportation and utilities (up 500), other services (up 200), information (up 100), and education and health services (up 100). Leisure and hospitality along with mining and logging were unchanged during the month.

Job losses occurred in May in government (down 4,200 jobs) and manufacturing (down 100 jobs).

Over the past year, job gains have occurred in professional and business services (up 11,400), education and health services (up 7,400), manufacturing (up 4,500), leisure and hospitality (up 3,500), information (up 600), trade, transportation and utilities (up 500), logging and mining (up 400), and other services (up 200).

The following sectors have lost jobs in the past 12 months: construction (down 6,700), government (down 6,000) and financial activities (down 600).

In the state Metropolitan Statistical Areas, job gains have occurred in the past year in the Rochester MSA (up 1.3 percent), the Duluth-Superior MSA (up 0.3 percent) and the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (up 0.1 percent). Job losses occurred in the St. Cloud MSA (down 1.5 percent) and the Mankato MSA (down 0.9 percent).

DEED is the state's principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency, visit www.PositivelyMinnesota.com.

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