Rochester Area Job Growth Slowest Among MN Metro Areas
St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - Minnesota’s unemployment rate dipped slightly has month as the state added over 11,000 jobs.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development says the seasonally-adjusted jobless slipped a tenth of a percentage point last month to 4.1 percent. Last April, as the impact of the COVID pandemic was ravaging the economy, the rate had risen to 9 percent.
State officials say Minnesota lost over 416,000 jobs from February through April 2020. With the gains reported for April, the state’s economy has regained 56.5 percent or over 235,000 of the jobs lost during the pandemic shut down.
“We’re continuing to see job growth,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “At DEED, we are proactively working with Minnesotans looking for work and connecting them with employers who need talent. There are many good jobs available now.”
The monthly report indicates employment in the Rochester area has increased by about 8200 positions since last April. Still, the 7.4 percent job growth rate was the lowest among Minnesota’s five metropolitan areas. Duluth, which has gained nearly 12,000 jobs for a growth rate of 10 percent, was on top of the list.
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