January 2017

For Your Calendar

Minneapolis Workforce Council Meeting

Date: March 21, 2017

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Location: TBA 

December 2016 Unemployment Rate for Minneapolis

The December 2016 unemployment rate rose to 3.2 percent, up .3 percent from November, resulting in 7,296 residents unemployed and actively seeking employment, an increase of 651 unemployed from November to December.

The federal government’s estimate of the Minneapolis labor force decreased between November and December, 190 dropping from the labor force, resulting in a total labor force of 229,304.

The year-over-year trend for December shows lower labor force participation and a .4 percent higher unemployment rate from one year ago.

December’s 3.2 percent unemployment rate in Minneapolis is .8 percent lower than the State of Minnesota, .2% lower than the seven county metro area, and 1.3 percent lower than the national average. 

State Gains 11,900 Jobs in December

Minnesota employers added 11,900 jobs in December, according to figures recently released by DEED. Minnesota added 37,102 jobs during the year, an increase of 1.3 percent. U.S. job growth in 2016 was 1.4 percent. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Minnesota in December climbed 0.1 percent to 3.9 percent.

In the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the following regions gained jobs in the past 12 months: Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (up 1.4 percent), Rochester MSA (up 2.6 percent), St. Cloud MSA (up 2.3 percent), Mankato MSA (up 0.1 percent) and Duluth-Superior MSA (up 0.2 percent). 

Learn more.

Applications Now Accepted for STEP-UP Interns and Employers

STEP-UP, the City of Minneapolis jobs program for Minneapolis youth is accepting applications for 2017 summer internships and is also seeking businesses, public agencies, and nonprofits to employ the interns in 2017. 

The intern application closes on February 5th, 2017. Interested eligible Minneapolis youth and businesses can view and complete applications on the new STEP-UP web page at: www.stepupmpls.org  

Partner Profile: Minneapolis WorkForce Centers

The Minneapolis North WorkForce Center and the Minneapolis South WorkForce Center serve more than 40,000 customers every year. They include job seekers, unemployment insurance customers, dislocated workers, veterans, youth, former offenders, new immigrants, and people with disabilities.

The WorkForce Centers offer more than 15 workshops every month, job search counseling, and National Career Readiness Certificate tests to help customers obtain living-wage employment. Several bilingual employees are on hand to assist non-English speaking customers.

Resource rooms at each center are equipped with computers and faxes and printing services for job-search activities. Computer software and equipment is also available to help customers who are blind, visually impaired, or have other physical impairments to use computer programs and websites and to read printed materials.

Two business services specialists offer consultative services to employers and help them find qualified workers, write effective job postings, determine competitive wages, and obtain tax credits for new hires. These specialists also plan and set up job fairs so that local employers can meet job seekers.

Since opening doors more than two decades ago, Minneapolis WorkForce Centers continue to maintain strong partnerships with the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, non-profit agencies, educational institutions and community-based organizations. 

Minneapolis North WorkForce Center Staff Meeting

Minneapolis Employment and Training Is Represented at White House TechHire Summit

On December 21, the White House brought together more than 100 educators, IT employers, and business and community leaders from across the country to celebrate the success of TechHire to date and to share best practices. The goal of the TechHire initiative is to close the workforce skills gap in the high tech economy by building a path for diverse workers to access training, support and tech jobs.

Tammy Dickinson from City of Minneapolis Employment and Training attended the summit representing Minneapolis Saint Paul TechHire. Dickinson was able to talk to city leaders and employers attending the event to learn what IT professional training and recruitment strategies are working in their communities. “The experience was invaluable and I learned several best practices we can implement in Minneapolis” said Dickinson.

Minneapolis has trained nearly 500 people through MSP TechHire since March of 2015.

Learn more about the program on the Minneapolis Saint Paul TechHire website.  

Minnesota Economic Trends Magazine Looks at Employment

The latest edition of Minnesota Economic Trends magazine, published by DEED’s Labor Market Information Office, is out. 

This issue's cover story looks at employment in the construction industry. The Minnesota construction sector is growing and struggling, in some cases, to find workers. People of color and women might hold the key to helping the industry fill open positions.

Two stories focus on people with disabilities. One story documents how people with disabilities trail the overall population in virtually every measure of the labor market. A second story examines the state’s new Connect 700 program, which aims to increase the number of people with disabilities in the state government workforce.

Also in this issue, an examination of occupations in Minnesota that require more than a high school education and a look at the growing demand for home health aides and personal care aides.  

What Manufacturers Are Saying about Business Conditions

Manufacturing in Minnesota is headed in the right direction. That positive outlook was captured in the joint annual survey by DEED and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Manufacturing accounts for more than 315,000 jobs in the state.

The Minnesota Manufacturing Business Conditions Survey of 262 manufacturing operations found 90 percent expecting production levels to increase or stay the same in 2017. 

Eighty-six percent of respondents expect orders to increase or stay the same in 2017, and 89 percent expect exports to increase or stay the same. 

Manufacturers also have a positive outlook for the state of Minnesota economy: 86 percent expect it to grow or stay the same in 2017 and 87 percent expect statewide employment to increase or stay the same.

Read more.