Local Look blogs: Serving our Veterans

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 MetroRecent data from the American Community Survey show a number of stark differences for the veteran community in the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA when compared to the nonveteran population. For one, veterans are much more likely to be older. As of 2017, over half (53.7%) of veterans reported being 65 years of age and older, compared to only 15.3 percent of nonveterans.

Central MinnesotaAlmost 49,000 veterans call Central Minnesota home, the largest number outside of the Twin Cities. Although the majority of veterans have served without incurring a service-connected disability, 30 percent of Central Minnesota veterans have at least some level of service-related disability, higher than any other region of Minnesota

Northeast MinnesotaOf Minnesota’s six planning regions, Northeast Minnesota has the highest percentage of veterans in the population aged 18 years and over, at 10.5 percent. That’s 2.5 percent more than the state as a whole, and over 3.5 percent higher than the Twin Cities metroAitkin County ranks first of the 87 counties for the percentage of veterans, followed closely by Lake County in fifth and Itasca County in sixth place overall.

Northwest Minnesota: Citizen soldiers of the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Red Bull infantry division - including Chet Bodin, our regional analyst in Northwest Minnesota - often leave employment while deployed overseas, but can be quickly re-employed once they have completed their service. DEED has resources and representatives in place to provide priority services for former military members in all WorkForce Centers across the state. 

Southeast Minnesota: When thinking of veterans in Minnesota, one word that comes to mind is ‘sacrifice.’ Minnesota veterans deserve nothing short of the best service to help them obtain employment, whether they are fresh off a deployment or served in earlier conflicts such as the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, or other service eras. DEED offers veterans a wide variety of services focused on their needs, including those veterans residing and looking for work in the Southeast region.

Southwest MinnesotaCurrent or former military members, no matter the era of service, receive priority services in all WorkForce Centers across the state. This can include help with long-term decisions like career planning or pursuing education, as well as more immediate tasks like posting a resume or landing a job. A statewide network of veterans employment representatives can also help veterans that have significant challenges finding or keeping a job or have a service-connected disability

New Guide to Hiring Disabled Veterans Available

With record low unemployment, more and more employers are feeling the labor force crunch, but one group of job seekers may be overlooked – disabled veterans. To raise employer awareness of this labor source and lower perceived barriers to hiring disabled veterans, the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) has released their 2018 hiring guide.


Labor Market Information Training Sessions

DEED's regional analysts are excited to be offering a series of hands-on interactive workshops on utilizing our Labor Market Information tools. Registration for the workshops located across the state is now open: 

https://mn.gov/deed/data/regional-lmi/lmi-training.jsp


The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is hosting a free conference on the topic of immigration on Tuesday, November 13, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The conference will feature a breakfast keynote address from United States Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. The keynote session will be followed by presentations on population and labor force trends, and immigration’s role in both, from economists in Ninth District states. The event will conclude with a panel discussion of community experts who will offer ground-level perspectives regarding the opportunities and challenges related to immigration in local communities.

To register for this free event, go to the conference website.