Minnesota's Jobless Rate Inches Up

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota's unemployment rate edged up last month, though the state stayed below the national jobless rate.

State Labor analyst Steve Hine says the August jobless rate is a reminder of how fragile the job market recovery still is.

"The state's labor markets weakened in August. The total payroll employment dropped by 2,000 [jobs] and the unemployment rate ticked up another notch to 5.9 percent" Hine said.

That's still well below the national unemployment rate of 8.1 percent.

The heaviest losses were in trade, transportation and utilities. Job gainers included government, education and health care.

Minnesota has now regained 53 percent of the jobs it lost in the recession.

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