by Cameron Macht
April 2019
87,430: That’s the number of Retail Salespeople in Minnesota, making it the largest occupation in the state. The number of vacancies for Retail Salespersons across the state has increased 550 percent over the past decade, making it the number one occupation in demand. The median wage for Retail Salespersons was $12.38 in 2019.
2.2%: That was the annual unemployment rate in Nicollet County in 2018, which was the lowest in the state. In addition to Nicollet County, nine other counties had unemployment rates of 2.5 percent or lower including Blue Earth, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Olmsted, Rock, Scott, Stevens, and Washington. In contrast, Clearwater County had the highest rate at 8.1 percent.
2,165: That’s the number of graduates from Visual and Performing Arts programs at Minnesota colleges and universities in the 2016 school year. Almost one-third of these graduates are working in the retail trade, Accommodation and Food Services, or Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation industries.
100.4%: That’s the projected growth rate for Wind Turbine Service Technicians, which is projected to be the fastest growing career in the state over the next decade. There are currently 271 jobs in the state, and there are expected to be 543 by the year 2026. Wind Turbine Service Technicians earn a median hourly wage of $26.80, with the largest number found in Southwest Minnesota.
$1,022: That’s the estimated monthly cost of child care for a single child in Minnesota, according to the 2018 Cost of Living study. However, child care costs range from a low of $348 per month in Roseau County to a high of $1,469 in Hennepin County. Based on those estimates, the difference in the cost of providing child care between these two counties was nearly $13,000 per year.
61.0%: That’s the percentage of the total jobs in the state that are located in the 7-County Twin Cities Metro Area. Minnesota had 2,881,172 covered jobs in 2018, with 1,758,550 of those at employer establishments in the Twin Cities. Jobs grew 1.1 percent in the Twin Cities over the past year compared to a 0.7 percent rise in Greater Minnesota.
8,900: That’s the number of long-term unemployed persons in Minnesota in April of 2019. Long-term unemployment—lasting more than 26 weeks (six months)—imposes costs on people that go well beyond lost wages. Future earnings are lower, and health, relationships, and self-esteem can suffer. Thankfully, the number of long-term unemployed stayed below 10,000 people for the third consecutive month.
78.8%: That’s the percentage of workers in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry that are female. In contrast, just 9 percent of workers in Mining and 12 percent of the Construction industry workforce are female. The median hourly wage for females was $18.50 across all industries, compared to $21.93 for males; but was $19.52 and $20.00, respectively, in Health Care and Social Assistance.
321,413: That’s the annual estimate of manufacturing jobs in Minnesota for 2018, which is the highest number reported since the Great Recession in 2008. Manufacturers have regained 28,663 jobs since bottoming out in 2010, nearly a 10 percent increase.
