Honoring Our Veterans
Friday, November 11 is Veterans Day. This month's blogs focus on the contributions of veterans to our regional labor markers. DEED places a priority of service on our veterans - our representatives can help veterans with career planning, job search, and connecting with other resources. Current or former military members looking for work are encouraged to contact the dedicated Veterans Employment Specialist in their part of Minnesota for assistance. Learn more about resources for current or former military members..
This month, we look at data on veterans in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), including a breakdown of veterans by period of service, and how veterans contribute to the region's labor market. We'll also look at resources that veterans can utilize through the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and CareerForce.
U.S. military veterans are small in number in comparison to the total population, but make a large impact in our country, state, and region. In Central Minnesota there are an estimated 41,750 military veterans, accounting for just under 6% of the total population. According to Census estimates, there were more than 15,200 veterans in the region's labor market. Veterans are very active in the economy, with nearly 80% of veterans between 18 and 64 years of age participating in the labor force.
In sum, 9% of Northeast Minnesota's population aged 18 years and older are veterans. Aitkin County had the highest share of veterans at 12%, followed by Itasca and Koochiching counties which were both above 10%. The higher share of veterans in the population also translates to a higher incidence of veterans participating in the workforce. At 4.7%, Northeast Minnesota has the highest proportion of veterans in its labor force among the six planning regions in the state!
In addition to the extraordinary value of each veteran's service to our nation, they continue to make significant contributions to Minnesota's economy and communities as well. Northwest Minnesota is fortunate to have an above average share of veterans in our region. According to the 2020 American Community Survey, Northwest Minnesota is home to an estimated 38,000 veterans, approaching 9% of the region's adult population, compared to 6.8% statewide. Cass and Hubbard Counties have over 11% veterans, among the highest of the 87 counties in the state, while Becker, Clearwater, and Crow Wing are all over 10%.
There were nearly 30,000 veterans living in Southeast Minnesota in 2020, accounting for about 7.6% of the region's adult population. These veterans are aging – almost half (47%) are Vietnam era veterans, and another 17% Korean War and World War II veterans, with the remaining 36% serving in the Gulf War in 1990 or newer conflicts or serving in the military without deployment in a conflict. Well over half (57.6%) of the veterans in Southeast are 65 years or older, compared to about 20% of nonveteran adults.
Nearly 6,500 veterans between the ages of 18 and 64 are participating in the labor force in Southwest Minnesota. As such, these veterans have an 80% labor force participation rate, though that was slightly lower than the participation rate for nonveterans from 18 to 64 years of age. Unemployment rates were also slightly higher for veterans than nonveterans.
Please reach out to your regional analyst if you or your staff would be interested in having a customized LMI training session. We would be happy to accommodate your training requests, either on LMI Data Tools or local economic conditions!
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