DEED Roundup – October 29, 2018

Roundup (rounded) header

October 29, 2018

Recent Press Releases

Minnesota Broadband access has grown from 2015 to 2018

DEED Launches Tool to Measure and Report Broadband Access

DEED Launched a new tool that will allow Minnesotans to test, map and report various broadband internet speeds across the state. CheckSpeedMinnesota.com is a benchmarking tool designed to gather information about the high-speed internet consumer experience in Minnesota. Follow the link to take the test.

DEED in the News

Architect hired to design new dental clinic 
Pipestone County Star-10/24/18

Earlier this year Pipestone County was awarded a $500,000 DEED grant through the state bonding bill to predesign, design, construct, furnish, and equip the dental clinic. Ewing said the county will have to spend the money and request reimbursement for the costs up to the $500,000. Caring Hands is responsible for any construction expenses beyond the $500,000 grant. They just hired their architect and construction is expected to begin in 2019.

'A Small Number for an Area that big': Record-low Unemployment in Northland
Duluth News Tribune 10/23/2018

In St. Louis, Carlton and Douglas counties, unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since the state started keeping track in 1990. The jobless rate in September was 2.7 percent in the region, the DEED reported, as the economy remained on pace to show us what full employment really looks like.

Medtronic Founder Turned a Tiny Repair Shop Into a Giant of Medical Technology
The Wall Street Journal 10/26/18

In the mid-1950s, heart pacemakers were bulky devices that had to be wheeled around on carts and plugged into a wall socket. A heart surgeon in Minneapolis asked Earl Bakken if he could make something better. After consulting a back issue of Popular Electronics, Mr. Bakken within a few weeks fashioned a wearable pacemaker powered by a battery. From there he founded Medtronic in Minnesota. Bakken passed away this past week but his company continues to make life-saving technology.


Recent Blog Post

Mohamed Dirshe is a Somali immigrant who lost his vision in the Somali civil war. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Utah. After moving back to Minnesota, Dirshe worked with State Services for the Blind which assisted with access to technology and resources to reach his goal of landing a good job. Go to the latest MinnesotaWorks  blog post to learn more about what Dirshe is doing for his community. 

Did You Know?

Work force Participation Second in the Nation

Minnesota had the second highest labor force participation rate for the country in September. Every month DEED staff work to crunch the numbers on everything involving jobs and the economy.  Then we create comprehensive lists on how the state ranks compared to others in the nation. Go to the Monthly Economic Snapshot to see more rankings for Minnesota in September.