Despite May Job Losses, Unemployment Steady At 3.8 Percent
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota's unemployment rate remains at 3.8 percent despite shedding nearly 2,000 jobs in May.
Those figures come from the Department of Employment and Economic Development's latest data released Thursday. The lackluster performance follows a strong April in which the state added more than 15,000 jobs, the largest one-month gain since September of 2013.
Even after a strong April, a 1.7 percent nationwide job growth rate for the year is outpacing Minnesota's 1 percent growth. Department Commissioner Shawntera Hardy says Minnesota's labor market remains healthy, citing growth in many sectors.
The state's 3.8 percent unemployment rate beats the nationwide jobless rate of 4.7 percent.
Heavy losses in manufacturing and construction jobs in May were nearly offset by gains in health and education services.
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