by Nick Dobbins
April 2023
Monthly analysis is based on seasonally adjusted employment data.
Yearly analysis is based on unadjusted employment data.
Employment in Minnesota was down 5,700 (0.2%) over the month (OTM) in March. It was the first monthly job loss since December. Goods producers lost 3,200 jobs (0.7%). and service providers lost 2,500 (0.1%).
Over the year Minnesota employers added 64,139 jobs (2.2%). Service providers drove the growth, adding 58,311 jobs (2.4%), while goods producers added 5,828 (1.3%). Private sector employment was up 2.3% (55,386 jobs), and public sector employment was up 2.1% (8,753 jobs).
Employment in Mining and Logging was flat in March, holding at a seasonally adjusted 6,500 jobs. It has maintained that level for four consecutive months.
Over the year the supersector lost 102 jobs (1.6%). It was the only supersector in Minnesota to post negative annual growth. It posted negative growth for each of the last nine months of 2022 and briefly dipped into positive territory in January before reverting to negative growth.
Construction employers shed 1,900 jobs or 1.4% over the month in March. This was the worst proportional growth of any supersector, following consecutive months of positive growth in January and February when employers added 5,000 jobs total.
On an annual basis Construction employers added 1,621 jobs (1.4%). Construction of Buildings was down by 29 (0.1%) but Heavy and Civil Engineering and Specialty Trade Contractors each added more than 800 jobs (up 7.3% and 1.1%, respectively).
Employment in Manufacturing was down by 1,300 (0.4%) in March. The losses came entirely in Durable Goods (down 1,300 or 0.6%), as employment in Non-Durable Goods was flat at 116,400.
Over the year Manufacturing employers added 4,309 jobs (1.4%). Durable Goods employers added 3,078 jobs (1.5%) with positive growth in every published component sector, while their counterparts in Non-Durable Goods added 1,231 (1.1%), thanks to growth of 1,015 (2.2%) in the Food Manufacturing component.
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities employers lost a seasonally adjusted 2,300 jobs (0.4%) in March. All three component sectors posted negative growth, with the largest declines coming in Wholesale Trade (down 1,000 jobs or 0.8%).
Over the year the supersector added 8,476 jobs or 1.6%. Retail Trade added 3,960 jobs (1.4%) with growth of 2.7% in Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers, and Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities added 2,986 jobs (2.7%), with Transportation and Warehousing up 2,367 (2.4%).
Employment in Information was flat in March, holding at 46,300 jobs. So far in 2023 the supersector has added 100 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Over the year Information employers added 1458 jobs (3.3%), despite posting negative growth in both published component sectors, Publishing (down 52 or 0.3%) and Telecommunications (down 255 or 2.7%).
Employment in the Financial Services supersector was unchanged over the month of March at 191,300 jobs. Finance and Insurance lost 100 jobs (0.1%), and Real Estate and Rental and Leasing added 100 jobs (0.3%).
On an annual basis, the supersector added 784 jobs (0.4%). Finance and Insurance employers shed 343 jobs (0.2%) primarily from the loss of 2,174 jobs (3.5%) in Credit Intermediation and Related Activities. Real Estate and Rental and Leasing employers added 1,127 jobs (3.4%).
The Professional and Business Services supersector lost 1,200 jobs (0.3%) in March on a seasonally adjusted basis. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services lost 1,100 jobs (0.6%), and Management of Companies lost 300 (0.3%), while Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services added 200 jobs (0.1%).
Over the year Professional and Business Services added 3,415 jobs (0.9%). Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services added 3,294 jobs (2%), and Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services added 838 jobs (0.7%), while Management of Companies lost 717 jobs (0.8%).
Educational and Health Services added 600 jobs (0.1%) over the month in March. Educational Services added 400 jobs (0.6%), and Health Care and Social Assistance added 200 (0.0%). The supersector has not lost jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis since June of 2022, posting nine consecutive months of positive or flat growth.
On an annual basis the supersector added 14,639 jobs (2.7%). Educational Services lost 1,689 jobs (2.3%), but the Health Care and Social Assistance sector added 16,328 jobs (3.5%) with growth in every published component sector.
Employment in Leisure and Hospitality was up by 700 (0.3%) in March. Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation added 600 jobs (1.2%), and Accommodation and Food Services added 100 (0.0%).
Over the year the supersector added 19,392 jobs or 8.2%. It remained the highest real and proportional annual growth of any supersector, as it has been for most of the post-COVID recovery. Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation employers added 8,144 jobs (21.7%), and Accommodation and Food Services added 11,248 (5.7%), with Accommodation employment in particular up 18.7% (3,871 jobs) over the year.
Other Services employment was off by 700 (0.7%) over the month in March. The decline comes after two months of growth in which the supersector added a combined 2,200 jobs.
Over the year Other Services employers added 1,394 jobs. Religions, Grantmaking, Civic, and Professional Organizations drove the growth, adding 1,808 jobs (3.2%). Repair and Maintenance lost 895 jobs (4.1%).
In March Government employers added 400 jobs (0.1%), with growth at every level of government. Federal employers added 200 jobs (0.6%), while State and Local employers each added 100 (0.1% and 0.0%, respectively).
Over the year Government employers added 8,753 jobs (2.1%) with growth at all three levels. Federal employment was up 376 (1.2%), State was up 581 (0.6%), and Local was up 7,796 (2.8%), with 5,797 of those jobs coming in non-educational sectors.
| Minnesota Seasonally Adjusted Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (In Thousands) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Mar-23 | Feb-23 | Jan-23 |
| Total Nonfarm | 2975.9 | 2981.6 | 2972.9 |
| Goods-Producing | 466.5 | 469.7 | 467 |
| Mining and Logging | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Construction | 133 | 134.9 | 133.1 |
| Manufacturing | 327 | 328.3 | 327.4 |
| Service-Providing | 2509.4 | 2511.9 | 2505.9 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 530.2 | 532.5 | 532 |
| Information | 46.3 | 46.3 | 46.2 |
| Financial Activities | 191.3 | 191.3 | 191.4 |
| Professional and Business Services | 390 | 391.2 | 390 |
| Educational and Health Services | 559.2 | 558.6 | 558.6 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 270.6 | 269.9 | 268.1 |
| Other Services | 106.9 | 107.6 | 105.9 |
| Government | 414.9 | 414.5 | 413.7 |
| Source: Department of Employment and Economic Development, Current Employment Statistics, 2023. | |||
