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Minnesota Industry Snapshots

By Tim O'Neill
February 2019

Another new year for Employment Review presents another new series of analysis. Where Employment Review previously analyzed occupations by the alphabet, and then moved on to county snapshots, it's time to highlight industries within the State of Minnesota. More specifically, Employment Review will be digging into the three-digit North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes, alphabetically, of course. At this level, there are just about 100 industries to cover, although some will be left out because of their extremely low employment levels in Minnesota. First in line: Accommodation.

Accommodation (NAICS 721)

Traveling around the State of Minnesota? Looking for a place to spend the night? Whether it's in a hotel, motel, casino hotel, bed-and-breakfast, RV (recreational vehicle) park, or rooming and boarding house, these types of establishments are housed (pun intended) within the Accommodation industry. More specifically, Accommodation includes those specific industries that provide lodging or short-term accommodations for travelers, vacationers, and others.

As of annual 2017, 1,465 establishments supplied just under 35,000 jobs in Accommodation. Top-employing occupations within this industry typically require less education and have lower median wages, but are highly in-demand across the state (see Table 1).

Table 1. Accommodation Top-Employing Occupations
Occupation Employment Median Wage 2016-2026 Employment Change
Numeric Percent
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 16,310 $11.96 1,542 8.0%
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks 4,420 $10.27 368 9.5%
Waiters and Waitresses 50,180 $10.06 1,269 2.5%
Maintenance and Repair Workers 23,020 $20.56 1,610 6.9%
Cooks, Restaurant 28,240 $13.03 1,832 7.2%
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants 4,420 $10.27 133 3.4%
Janitors and Cleaners 45,680 $13.86 3,986 8.2%
Bartenders 16,490 $10.01 -152 -0.9%
Gaming Dealers 2,100 $9.88 112 4.1%
Lodging Managers 530 $19.65 53 8.7%
Source: BLS Industry-Occupation Matrix, DEED Occupational Employment Statistics (OES), DEED Employment Outlook

While almost half of Accommodation employment within the state is located in the Twin Cities Metro Area, high concentrations are found in Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Minnesota. Where these two regions make up about 13 percent of the state's total employment, they make up about 28 percent of the state's Accommodation employment (see Table 2). After dipping below 31,000 statewide jobs in 2010 during the Great Recession, Accommodation gained nearly 4,000 jobs through 2017. This growth rate of 12.8 percent slightly outpaced the total employment growth of all industries during that period of time and equaled 11.3 percent. Taking a look through the planning regions, you will notice a large spike of Accommodation employment in Central Minnesota. Much of this could be from establishment reporting, more specifically switching from Casinos to Casino Hotels (see Table 2).

Table 2. Accommodation Employment in Minnesota
Area Number of Firms Number of Jobs Share of Minnesota Accommodation 2010-2017 Job Change Average Annual Wage
Minnesota 1,466 34,942 100.0% 3,966 (12.8%) $26,468
Metro Area 353 16,235 46.4% 670 (4.3%) $31,772
Northwest MN 402 5,794 16.6% 724 (4.3%) $19,292
Central MN 146 4,873 13.9% 3,114 (177.0%) $24,232
Northeast MN 268 3,867 11.1% 131 (3.5%) $19,656
Southeast MN 159 2,941 8.4% 86 (3.0%) $21,060
Southwest MN 100 992 2.8% -935 (-48.5%) $14,612
Source: DEED Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (NAICS 925)

With numerous Public Administration industry titles starting off with "Administration of," this alphabetical run-through of in-depth industry sectors in Minnesota starts off with a heavy look into government employment in the state. This next industry, Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development, is broken down into two main areas:

  • Administration of Housing Programs: specifically includes building standards agencies, housing authorities, and housing planning and development programs
  • Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development: specifically includes community and county development agencies, land redevelopment agencies, urban planning commissions, zoning boards and commissions, and regional planning and development program administrations

While this month's industry snapshots take a look at three industries within Public Administration, they are each distinct in how they are distributed amongst the local, state, and federal levels. For example, both Administration of Economic Programs and Administration of Environmental Quality Programs have significant shares of their respective employment within state and federal government. Public Administration as a whole has about one-third of its total employment at the state and federal government levels. Yet only 3.7 percent of Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development employment is within state and federal government, equivalent to about 100 jobs (see Table 1). The vast majority of the work done by those in this industry is at the local level.

Table 1. Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development Employment in Minnesota, 2017
Industry Number of Firms Number of Jobs Federal Government Share State Government Share Local Government Share Average Annual Wage
Total Government Employment 6,831 382,529 8.4% 21.0% 70.6% $52,676
Public Administration 3,358 132,054 8.6% 23.4% 68.0% $56,264
Admin. Of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development 118 2,762 3.2% 0.5% 96.3% $63,700
Source: DEED Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)

Trends

Between 2002 and 2004, Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development lost 387 jobs, contracting by 16.7 percent. Over the next decade, between 2004 and 2014, the industry gradually regained these jobs. A 19.8 percent spike in employment or 449 jobs between 2013 and 2014 especially helped out. As of annual 2017, there were 118 establishments in Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development supplying 2,762 jobs. Employment levels between 2014 and 2017 have remained largely stable (see Figure 1). Note that where the Seven-County Metro Area accounts for just over half (53.9 percent) of the state's total Public Administration employment, the region accounts for 75.7 percent of the state's total employment in Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development.

Figure 1. Administration of Housing p\Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development Trends in Minnesota

Administration of Economic Programs (NAICS 926)

With just over 132,000 jobs, Public Administration includes a number of industries essential to the administration, oversight, and management of public programs at the federal, state, and local levels. One of these specific industries is Administration of Economic Programs. Broken down, this industry includes:

  • Administration of General Economic Programs: consumer protection offices, economic development agencies, trade commissions, small business development agencies, and economic statistical agencies
  • Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs: port authorities, public transportation commissions, transportation safety programs, motor carrier licensing and inspection offices, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Coast Guard
  • Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities: examples include communications commissions, energy development and conservation programs, and licensing and inspecting of utilities
  • Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities: food inspection agencies, pest control programs, and regulation and inspection of agricultural products
  • Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors: alcoholic beverage control boards, banking regulatory agencies, building inspections, hospital licensure agencies, pet licensing, rent control agencies, and occupational safety and health administration

One of the most distinguishing things about Administration of Economic Programs is its much higher share of employment in both federal and state government, as opposed to local government employment. This industry also has higher average annual wages than Public Administration employment or total government employment in the state as a whole (see Table 1).

Table 1. Administration of Economic Programs Employment in Minnesota, 2017
Industry Number of Firms Number of Jobs Federal Government Share State Government Share Local Government Share Average Annual Wage
Total Government Employment 6,831 382,529 8.4% 21.0% 70.6% $52,676
Public Administration 3,358 132,054 8.6% 23.4% 68.0% $56,264
Administration of Economic Programs 417 7,676 34.4% 49.9% 15.7% $60,684
Source: DEED Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)

Trends

Interestingly, where the Great Recession caused total employment in Minnesota to decline by 4.7 percent between 2007 and 2010, equal to over 125,000 jobs, Administration of Economic Programs witnessed employment growth of 26.4 percent or nearly 2,200 additional jobs. After losing 3,040 jobs between 2010 and 2012, this industry's employment has remained largely unchanged, growing by 4.4 percent between 2012 and 2017 (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Administration of Economic Programs Employment Trends in Minnesota

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (NAICS 924)

Along with Administration of Economic Programs, Administration of Environmental Quality Programs is another defined industry within Public Administration. Broken down, Administration of Environmental Quality Programs includes two main in-depth sectors:

  • Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs: very much self-explanatory, this industry includes such things as enforcement of environmental and pollution control agencies, sanitation engineering agencies, water control and quality program administrations, and waste management program administrations.
  • Administration of Conservation Programs: this industry comprises establishments across numerous specific areas including wind and water erosion control agencies, wildlife conservation agencies, land management program administrations, fish and game agencies, community recreation programs, and weather forecasting program administrations.

Establishments within Administration of Environmental Quality Programs are essentially responsible for ensuring the environmental security of Minnesota's land, water, and air, as well as overseeing the conservation of fish and wildlife. As Table 1 highlights, this work is being done at the local, state, and federal levels. Common names for agencies across these levels of government employment include Environmental Quality Board, Farm Service Agency, Fish and Wildlife Office, Land Management Department, Solid Waste Management, Natural Resources Conservation, as well as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Much of the work being done within these agencies and programs is making sure that current and future Minnesotans can enjoy the natural benefits of the state, from bluff country in the southeast to the western prairie grasslands to the northern lakes and rivers.

Table 1. Administration of Environmental Quality Programs Employment in Minnesota, 2017
Industry Number of Firms Number of Jobs Federal Government Share State Government Share Local Government Share Average Annual Wage
Total Government Employment 6,831 382,529 8.4% 21.0% 70.6% $52,676
Public Administration 3,358 132,054 8.6% 23.4% 68.0% $56,264
Admin. Of Environmental Quality Programs 463 8,243 16.1% 41.6% 42.3% $56,836
Source: DEED Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)

Trends

Employment within Administration of Environmental Quality Programs generally trended downwards between the turn of the century and 2010. More specifically, this industry lost 343 jobs during that decade, contracting by 4.0 percent. The industry then experienced some whiplash, losing 441 jobs between 2010 and 2011, before regaining 429 jobs between 2011 and 2012. Since 2012, employment in Administration of Environmental Quality Programs has remained largely stable, growing by 1.4 percent through 2017. For reference, the total of all industries grew by 7.9 percent between 2012 and 2017 (see Figure 1). As of 2017, there were over 8,200 Administration of Environmental Quality Programs jobs in Minnesota at 463 establishments.

Figure 1. Administration of Environmental Quality Programs Trends in Minnesota

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