Local Look blogs: Happy New Year!

Locla Look

Each month, DEED's Regional Analysis & Outreach unit produces a series of blogs exploring local labor market information. Please contact your regional analyst for more information.  

Twin Cities MetroThe current temperature in St. Paul is a balmy 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, not many would consider such a temperature to be balmy, wondering how anybody could care to venture outside. Data shows that winter in Minnesota affects industry employment across the state and metro.

Central MinnesotaCentral Minnesota is home to ten colleges including private, for-profit, and public colleges and universities. With so many options, understanding how previous graduates have fared in the labor market after successfully completing their higher education is valuable knowledge for potential students. 

Northeast MinnesotaDEED has released a new data tool: the Quarterly Employment Demographics. Utilizing this dataset to analyze Northeast Minnesota's construction industry, we find that this sector was greatly affected by the recession but has rebounded since.

Northwest Minnesota: To say small businesses are vital to Minnesota's economy is a major understatement. Small businesses are the primary source of employment statewide, and in Greater Minnesota they provide nearly 60 percent of all private-sector jobs.

Southeast Minnesota: Employee turnover – the ratio of the number of employees who leave a company divided by the total employee count within the company – is a phrase unlikely to bring smiles to the faces of employers. Regardless of the reason for leaving, whether a voluntary separation or termination, the cost of employee turnover can be high.

Southwest MinnesotaThe U.S. Census Bureau released the most recent 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-year estimates on December 7, 2017, showing the changing face of Southwest Minnesota's population. The 23-county region was home to just over 390,000 residents in 2016, with most counties seeing an aging and declining population, though there were notable exceptions.