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State Adds 7,400 Jobs in April ~Unemployment rate drops to 3.7 percent~
ST. PAUL – Minnesota employers added 7,400 jobs in April, according to figures released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
The agency said Minnesota has gained 25,500 jobs in the past three months and 46,114 jobs over the past year. Jobs have increased 1.7 percent in the state in the past 12 months, compared with a 2.2 percent growth rate nationally during that period.
The state’s unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in April, down 0.1 percent from the revised unemployment rate of 3.8 percent in March. The U.S. unemployment rate in April was 5.4 percent.
The state’s labor force participation rate climbed to 70.7 percent in April, its highest level in 3-1/2 years.
Construction led all sectors in April with 6,600 new jobs. Other industries that added jobs were professional and business services (up 3,400), trade, transportation and utilities (up 2,200), manufacturing (up 900), logging and mining (up 400) and information (up 400).
Government lost 2,500 jobs in April, followed by education and health services (down 2,200), other services (down 700), leisure and hospitality (down 600) and information (down 500).
Over the past year, professional and business services led all sectors with 12,006 new jobs. Other sectors that have added jobs in the past 12 months are education and health services (up 10,692), leisure and hospitality (up 7,490), trade, transportation and utilities (up 7,018), manufacturing (up 5,891), construction (up 4,828), other services (up 706) and financial activities (up 403).
The following sectors lost jobs in the past 12 months: government (down 2,830), logging and mining (down 62) and information (down 28).
In the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the following regions gained jobs in the past 12 months: Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (up 1.8 percent), Mankato MSA (up 0.7 percent), Duluth-Superior MSA (up 0.7 percent) and Rochester MSA (up 0.6 percent). The St. Cloud MSA was statistically unchanged (0.0 percent).
DEED has added a section to its website that examines the unemployment rate by demographics (race, age and gender) and looks at alternative measures of unemployment. Go here for details.
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 and our services, visit us at http://mn.gov/deed/ . Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/mndeed .
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Seasonally adjusted
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Not seasonally adjusted
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Unemployment Rate
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April
2015
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March
2015
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April
2015
|
April
2014
|
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Minnesota
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3.7
|
3.8
|
3.8
|
4.3
|
|
U.S.
|
5.4
|
5.5
|
5.1
|
5.9
|
|
Employment
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April 2015
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March 2015
|
April ‘14-
April ‘15 Level Change
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April ‘14-
April ‘15 % Change
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|
Minnesota
|
0.3
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0.3
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46,114
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1.7
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|
U.S.
|
0.2
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0.1
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3,085,000
|
2.3
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Over The Year Employment Growth By Industry Sector (NSA)
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OTY Job Change
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OTY Growth Rate (%)
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U.S. OTY Growth Rate (%)
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Total Non-Farm Employment
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46,114
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1.7
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2.3
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Logging and Mining
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-62
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-0.9
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-3.0
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Construction
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4,828
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5.0
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5.0
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Manufacturing
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5,891
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1.9
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1.6
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Trade, Trans. and Utilities
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7,018
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1.4
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2.1
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Information
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-28
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-0.1
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2.2
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Financial Activities
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403
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0.2
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1.9
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Prof. and Bus. Services
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12,006
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3.5
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3.6
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Ed. and Health Services
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10,692
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2.1
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2.7
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Leisure and Hospitality
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7,490
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3.0
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3.1
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Other Services
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706
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0.6
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1.2
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Government
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-2,830
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-0.7
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0.3
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Metropolitan Statistical Area
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OTY Employment Change (#, NSA)
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OTY Employment Change (%, NSA)
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Minneapolis-St. Paul MN-WI MSA
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34,145
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1.8
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Duluth-Superior MN -WI MSA
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916
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0.7
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Rochester MSA
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719
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0.6
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St. Cloud MSA
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-21
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-0.0
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Mankato MSA
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403
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0.7
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-30-
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