by Nick Dobbins
December 2014
Monthly analysis is based on unadjusted employment data.
Employment climbed in November with 3,673 additional jobs in the metro over the month. The increase was entirely from a spike in employment among service providers, as good producers lost 3,944 jobs (1.5 percent). Trade, Transportation, and Utilities led the way with an increase of 5,633 jobs (1.8 percent), thanks to a spike of 5,220 (3.0 percent) in Retail Trade. Other notable job gainers included Financial Activities, up 1,802 jobs (1.3 percent) and Government which added 2,666 jobs (1.1 percent). The sharpest decline came in Leisure and Hospitality which lost 3,901 jobs (2.3 percent). For the year, the MSP metro has added 38,523 jobs (2.1 percent). The biggest annual job loss came in Mining, Logging, and Construction (down 1,452, 2.1 percent). The most dramatic growth occurred in Manufacturing (up 9,110 or 5.0 percent) and Professional and Business Services (up 11,834, 4.3 percent).
The MSA shed 136 jobs (0.1 percent) in November as winter declines began to set in. The largest losses were in Leisure and Hospitality (down 608, 4.8 percent) and Mining, Logging, and Construction (down 381, 4.1 percent). Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 638 jobs (2.6 percent) as Retail Trade employment grew by 428 (2.7 percent) for the holiday season. Other supersectors to add jobs included Educational and Health Services (up 118 or 0.4 percent) and Government (up 148 or 0.6 percent) on the strength of an additional 180 jobs in Local Government). Employment has also declined over the year, down 331 jobs (0.2 percent) since November 2013. The annual decline is largely caused by a dramatic drop in Leisure and Hospitality employment, as the supersector was down 1,609 jobs (11.7 percent) over the year. This supersector showed a similar over-the-year decline in October.
Employment was up very slightly in November, adding 95 jobs (0.1 percent) over October estimates. Along with the expected Trade, Transportation, and Utilities increase (up 628 jobs or 3.8 percent), Government added 122 jobs (1.1 percent) and Leisure and Hospitality employment was up 66 (0.7 percent). For the year, Rochester added 842 jobs (0.8 percent). Growth in Manufacturing (up 250, 2.5 percent), Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (up 314, 1.8 percent), Educational and Health Services (up 319, 0.7 percent), and other supersectors easily overcame job losses in Mining, Logging, and Construction (down 249, 6.6 percent), Financial Activities (down 47, 1.8 percent), and Government (down 38, 0.3 percent).
The MSA lost 657 jobs (0.6 percent) in November. The strong seasonal increase in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (up 355, 1.7 percent), along with growth in Government (up 67 jobs, 0.4 percent) and Professional and Business Services (up 13, 0.1 percent) was not enough to overcome the losses in every other supersector. Largest declines came in Educational and Health Services (down 373, 1.8 percent), Leisure and Hospitality (down 200, 2.1 percent), and Manufacturing (down 110, 0.7 percent). Annually, St. Cloud was up 1,400 jobs (1.3 percent). The situation is nearly the opposite of the monthly picture, with losses in Government (down 638, 3.9 percent) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (down 29, 0.1 percent), as well as Information (down 83, 4.9 percent) trumped by gains in every other supersector. The most dramatic proportional annual growth occurred in Mining, Logging, and Construction which added 795 jobs (15.4 percent).
Employment grew again in November, adding 269 jobs (0.5 percent) over October estimates. The growth came entirely from Government employers (up 278, 3.0 percent) as Private employment was virtually flat (down 9, 0.0 percent). Annually, the Mankato metro added 2,019 jobs (3.6 percent) with 1,790 of those jobs coming from Private employers. Service providers added 1,638 jobs (3.6 percent) while goods producers grew by 381 (3.8 percent).
The MSA added 674 jobs (0.5 percent) in November. Accompanying Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (up 619, 2.0 percent) with significant employment gains on the month were Leisure and Hospitality (up 381 or 2.8 percent) and Educational and Health Services (up 224, 1.0 percent), along with a handful of supersectors with smaller growth. Largest losses came in Mining, Logging, and Construction (down 411, 3.9 percent) and Professional and Business Services (down 193, 1.2 percent). For the year the metro added 5,584 jobs (4.1 percent) with the only losses coming in the Other Services supersector which shed just two jobs.
Employment was up 542 (0.9 percent) in November, following the pattern of significant job losses in Mining, Logging, and Construction (down 170, 4.6 percent) and gains in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (up 394, 3.1 percent). For the year, the metro added 496 jobs (0.9 percent) despite losses of 182 (1.2 percent) in Government and 254 (4.0 percent) in Leisure and Hospitality.
