Minnesota unemployment stabilizes at 4.5% after Operation Metro Surge
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(FOX 9) - Minnesota’s job market showed signs of stabilization in March, but state officials say there’s still a long way to go for a full recovery.
Minnesota’s unemployment rate holds steady
What we know:
According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the state’s unemployment rate stayed at 4.5% in March. Nationally, the rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.3%.
Minnesota added 800 non-farm jobs, which DEED described as "essentially flat," while the U.S. gained 178,000 jobs.
By the numbers:
According to the data, the state’s private sector gained 600 jobs, and the U.S. private sector added 186,000. Minnesota’s labor force participation rate dropped three-tenths of a percentage point to 67.6%, compared to a national rate of 61.9%.
Over the year, Minnesota gained 9,246 payroll jobs (up 0.3%), with education/health services and construction seeing the biggest increases.
The average Minnesota work week in March was 32.9 hours, down slightly from last month and last year. Nationally, the average work week was 34.5 hours.
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What they're saying:
"March was closer to a flat month for the state’s labor market, which is an improvement over February," DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in a statement accompanying the release. "It's good to see some initial signs of stabilization in the unemployment rate and jobs numbers following the peak of Operation Metro Surge – but I continue to believe Minnesota and the nation face a long road to recovery, amidst other headwinds like high energy prices."
"It was another challenging month for Minnesota’s labor market," Angelina Nguyen, DEED labor market information director, said in a statement. "We still saw the economic impact of ICE in our state during March, so from a data perspective, we’re in the middle of this story."
The backstory:
Minnesota’s jobs numbers have fluctuated in recent months.
Between January and March, the state lost 6,100 jobs (down 0.2%), while the U.S. grew by 0.03%. The state also lost jobs in the two-month periods ending in January and February.
DEED officials noted that the state is still feeling the effects of ICE enforcement actions in March.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has now caught up on monthly jobs reports after delays caused by last fall’s federal shutdown, which led to Minnesota’s January, February and March reports all being released in April.
What's next:
DEED says it will return to its regular schedule next month, with the April jobs report set for release on May 21.