State Adds 4,300 Jobs; Unemployment Holds At 5.2 Percent
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Minnesota added 4,300 jobs last month but the state's unemployment rate stayed at 5.2 percent, according to figures released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Officials said Minnesota has gained more than 71,000 jobs over the past year, a rate of 2.6 percent. That's above the national rate of 1.7 percent. The 5.2 percent unemployment rate is also above the national average of more than seven percent.
Officials said the government showed the greatest gain in jobs with 4,000, while financial activities were up 2,300 and leisure and hospitality were up 1,400. The greatest job losses came in education and health care (2,600) construction (1,700) and manufacturing (1,400).
Officials said 10 of the state's 11 job sectors gained jobs over the last year, with the only one losing being manufacturing.