DEED: Minnesota's Unemployment Drops To Record Low, Jobs Gained For 7th-Straight Month
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota's job growth has outpaced the nation and unemployment has dropped to a record low, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
DEED released the update Thursday morning, saying the state has gained jobs for seven months in a row. Unemployment ticked down to 2.2% in April, from 2.5% in March. The 2.2% figure is the lowest level recorded since that information began being collected in 1976.
"The decline in the unemployment rate over-the-month was entirely due to people moving from unemployment to employment," DEED said in a release.
Meanwhile, the state gained 11,900 jobs, with most of those jobs being in the private sector, increasing by 0.4% from March to April. Comparatively, the U.S. gained 428,000 jobs, up 0.3% in the same time period.
Some Minnesota supersectors that gained jobs included manufacturing and financial activities, while losses were in mining, logging and construction.
DEED Commissioner Steve Grove notes that employment recovery has not been consistent for all Minnesotans.
"Our economy remains strong, job growth continues, and more people continue to return to work," said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. "However, racial disparities in employment remain. DEED is laser-focused on helping connect those Minnesotans who are looking for work now with the employers who need them."
Black and Hispanic Minnesotans continue to experience higher unemployment rates than white Minnesotans.
Minnesota's overall labor force participation is now at 68.3%.
Read the full DEED report here.
