Minnesota Ranks 1st In Job Creation Index
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Minnesota led the nation in job creation last year, according to an index by Gallup.
The performance-management company known for its political opinion polls says this is the first time the Land of 10,000 Lakes has netted the top spot since the index started in 2008.
The index works by asking a state's workers if their employers are hiring/expanding or letting people go/downsizing.
On average, 46 percent of Minnesota workers reported that their place of employment was hiring or expanding, Gallup said. On the flip side, only 8 percent of Minnesota workers said their employers were letting people go or downsizing.
The two states behind Minnesota on the index were Georgia and Utah. In last place were Alaska, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Meanwhile, neighboring states Wisconsin and North Dakota were both in the top 10.
In its report, Gallup noted that Minnesota had double-digit growth in net job creation last year. The only other state with similar growth was Nevada, which saw the highest net job creation in the country.
In a press release from his office, Gov. Mark Dayton congratulated Minnesota workers on coming in first on the index.
However, the release from the governor's office also pointed out that many Minnesotans of color and those in the Iron Range are facing tough economic times.