Minnesota’s job picture is moving closer to where it was prior to the COVID-19 disruptions, with hiring and wages on the rise and the unemployment rate gradually declining.
Figures released Thursday show November’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dipped to 3.3 percent – the level it was last at in February of 2020. Overall, the state gained 8,600 jobs and the prior month’s total was also revised upward.
The sectors with the strongest gains last month were leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, educational and health services, and construction and manufacturing.
Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove said he’s encouraged by what he’s seen lately.
“This is the third straight month we’ve seen solid, steady growth. While the pandemic recovery has been jumpy, this fall has provided some stability on our recovery as jobs have continued to be added to our economy,” Grove said. “When you look at the overall picture of wages, jobs and job growth, we are headed in the right direction.”
Minnesota shed about 416,000 jobs in the first months of the COVID-19 fight. The state has now gained back about three-quarters of them; the improvement is even stronger when only private sector jobs are counted.
But the labor force participation rate — a closely watched metric that gauges how many potential workers have jobs — remains stuck at just under 68 percent. Prior to the pandemic upheaval, it was steadily above 70 percent.
Officials say some...
You are seeing this page because our security systems have detected some unusual activity on this connection. To regain access to The Telegraph website please try the following: If you are connect...