February 2017

Minneapolis Workforce Council Meeting

Date: March 21, 2017

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Location: Brian Coyle Center, 420 15 Avenue, South, Minneapolis, MN 

Unemployment Rate Steady at 4 Percent in January

Minnesota’s unemployment rate was 4 percent in January, unchanged from the state’s revised jobless rate in December, according to seasonally adjusted figures released by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in January.

Minnesota employers eliminated 8,300 jobs in January. Over the past year, the state has gained 35,136 jobs, an increase of 1.2 percent. U.S. job growth over the past year was 1.5 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 0.8 percent), St. Cloud MSA (up 1.3 percent) and Duluth-Superior MSA (up 0.1 percent). The Mankato MSA lost jobs (down 0.3 percent).

DEED also announced revised job figures from the previous two years based on updated data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those figures indicate Minnesota gained nearly 8,500 more jobs than originally reported from December 2014 to December 2015. The state, however, gained about 4,200 fewer jobs than originally reported between December 2015 and December 2016.

Those adjustments and other factors resulted in a revised unemployment rate of 4 percent in December 2016, rather than the 3.9 percent rate that was originally reported.

Source

2016 DEED Accomplishments Annual Report

DEED had an outstanding 2016. Learn more about the agency’s successes last year. Read the 2016 DEED Accomplishments annual report featuring sections on programs and services for businesses, individuals and communities.

Pledge to Hire a STEP-UP Intern Today!

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

Interested businesses can find more information and complete applications on the new STEP-UP web page here.

Partner Profile: CLUES

CLUES' Homestrech program graduates 

with CLUES’ Cesar Orjuela (in tan suit in the middle)

CLUES, a Minneapolis Employment and Training partner since 2005, provides bilingual one-on-one employment and retention services to the Minneapolis Latino and new immigrant communities. 

CLUES understands that employment and unemployment affect the entire family and when participants succeed, so do their families.  CLUES job counselors examine not only participants’ employability factors like job skills and education level, but also safe living, legal issues, and health to develop a comprehensive individualized employment plan.  

CLUES also offers training for those interested in customer service, finishing trades and bricklayer pre-apprenticeships, and nursing assistant certification.  

2016 CLUES highlights include:

• More than 600 participants received  job coaching and support
• 135 clients placed in jobs at an average wage of $12.95/hour
• 49 students graduated from the career training program with 35    obtaining industry recognized credentials

In addition to its robust employment and training program, CLUES provides access to resources and opportunities for health and well-being, economic vitality, cultural and civic engagement, and education.

Check out the 2016 STEP-UP Final Report!

STEP-UP is the City of Minneapolis youth employment program that recruits, trains, and places youth ages 14-21 with barriers to employment in jobs with Twin Cities businesses, nonprofits and public agencies.

In 2016, STEP-UP prepared over 2,000 Minneapolis youth – over 88% youth of color – with the skills needed to be successful in a job. Of those, 1,660 were matched with internships for the summer at one of 225 partner employers. The interns earned a combined $2.7 million in wages, $1.3 of which was paid directly by the private sector.

The banking industry led STEP-UP private sector employers in 2016, with U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo hiring a total of 61 interns. Other top private sector employers were Excel Energy, Reve Academy and HealthPartners.

To see more information about STEP-UP program elements and interns, click on STEP-UP at a Glance.

To read the entire report, click here.

Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center Grand Opening

Join the grand opening community celebration for the Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center. The center will be a one-stop shop for educational and workforce resources and a pipeline for job opportunities. The Center will provide intake, assessment, job search, career exploration, employment counseling, job development, job placement, remedial education referrals and support (GED), and case management services to youth and adult job seekers in the neighborhood. 

Date: Sunday, March 12, 2017

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Location: Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center, 515 15 Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN

The event begins at 2:00 p.m. with a brief program and ribbon cutting. After the ribbon cutting, participate in building tours, entertainment, and refreshments. The program will be held just outside of the building, so be sure to dress for the weather. 

Public parking is available in the area, but is limited.  The METRO Blue Line Cedar Riverside stop is less than two blocks from the center.

The Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center is located 

on the ground floor of 515 15th Ave. S

Distinguishing Industries in the Twin Cities

The metro area accounts for 60 percent of total employment in the state of Minnesota. Distinguishing Industries in the Twin Cities looks at industry shares and concentration and industries that are transforming and emerging. Learn what the largest-employing industries in the metro area are, what industries make the metro area stand out from Greater Minnesota, and which in-depth sectors of the economy are transforming or emerging.

The Case for Diversifying Construction

Construction was hit harder than any Minnesota industry during the recession, losing nearly 38,000 jobs between 2006 and 2010. The construction industry has come on strong since then and last year was the fastest-growing labor sector in the state.

An article by Oriane Casale (Assistant Director of the Labor Market Information Office of DEED) says construction is now struggling to find workers, despite being an industry with above-average pay and low education requirements. The number of job vacancies in the industry climbed from 710 in the second quarter of 2009 to 6,700 in the second quarter last year, according to a DEED study.

According to Casale, construction companies need to start looking to workers of color and women to fill their labor needs. 

Learn more.