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State and National Employment and Unemployment


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State and National Unemployment Rates

In April, Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 5.6 percent. Minnesota’s labor force participation rate was 71.1 percent in April, the lowest it has been since July 1983.

The national unemployment rate remained fell to 8.1 percent in April.

  

Unemployment Rates

 

 

April 2012

March 2012

April 2011

Minnesota

Seasonally Adjusted

5.6%

5.8%

6.6%

Not Seasonally Adjusted

5.2%

6.6%

6.5%

U.S.

Seasonally Adjusted

8.1%

8.2%

9.0%

Not Seasonally Adjusted

7.7%

8.4%

8.7%

 



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Over-the Year Employment Change

Minnesota gained 14,706 jobs over-the-year in April, up 0.6 percent from one year ago. This is below the U.S. annual growth of 1.3 percent in April. 

Growth leaders over the past year include Education and Health Services (up 12,100 jobs), Professional and Business Services (up 10,300 jobs), Manufacturing (up 4,900 jobs), Other Services (up 2,700 jobs), Financial Activities (up 2,200), and Construction (up 1,600 jobs).

Small over-the-year gains were seen in Information (up 500 jobs) and Logging and Mining (up 300 jobs).  

Losses were concentrated in Leisure and Hospitality (down 10,300 jobs) and Government (down 7,200 jobs), and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (down 2,300 jobs).

Overall, private firms in Minnesota added 21,900 jobs over the year, a growth rate of 1.0 percent, and compared to 1.8 percent nationally.

 

Graph: Non-Farm Employment Growth, Over the Year Change

 

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Monthly Employment Change by Sector

Minnesota lost 3,100 jobs in April.

Three sectors added jobs in April: Manufacturing (up 2,200 jobs), Financial Activities (up 2,000 jobs), and Education and Health Services (up 1,600 jobs).

Seven sectors had job losses in March, led by Trade, Transportation and Utilities, which shed 3,400 jobs. Other declining sectors include Construction (down 1,600 jobs), Leisure and Hospitality (down 1,400 jobs), Government (down 1,000 jobs), and Professional and Business Services (down by 1,000 jobs). Smaller losses were seen in Other Services (down 300 jobs), and Information (down 200 jobs) over the month.  

The Mining and Logging sector held steady over the month.

The private sector overall lost 2,100 jobs in April.

Minnesota Nonfarm Employment

 

 

April - Seasonally Adjusted

Minnesota

U.S.

Number of Jobs
Gained or Lost

Percent
Change

Percent
Change

Total Nonfarm Employment

-3,100

-0.1%

0.1%

Total Private

-2,100

-0.1%

0.1%

Mining and Logging

0

0.0%

0.0%

Construction

-1,600

-1.7%

0.0%

Manufacturing

2,200

0.7%

0.1%

Trade, Transportation, and Utilities

-3,400

-0.7%

0.1%

Information

-200

-0.4%

-0.1%

Financial Activities

2,000

1.1%

0.0%

Professional and Business Services

-1,000

-0.3%

0.3%

Education and Health Services

1,600

0.3%

0.1%

Leisure and Hospitality

-1,400

-0.6%

0.1%

Other Services

-300

-0.3%

0.0%

Government

-1,000

-0.2%

-0.1%

 


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