by Nick Dobbins
July 2016
Monthly analysis is based on unadjusted employment data.
Employment in the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA increased by 21,115 (1.1 percent) in June. The rate was slightly higher than is usual in June, as the metro area had shown between 0.7 and 0.9 percent growth in June in each of the past three years. This may indicate slightly later job growth this season, as May’s 1.1 percent increase was slightly lower than in previous years. The two supersectors to show the most growth in June were regular warm-weather seasonal stalwarts Mining, Logging, and Construction (up 5,767 or 7.2 percent) and Leisure and Hospitality (up 6,846, 3.7 percent). The big losses came in Educational and Health Services, which lost 2,014 jobs (0.6 percent) thanks to a decline of 4,639 (9.6 percent) in Educational Services. Annually, employment in the metro area was up by 31,764 jobs (1.6 percent). Virtually every supersector save Information, which lost 337 jobs or 0.9 percent, added employment on the year. Educational and Health Services remained the fastest grower, adding 11,993 jobs or 3.8 percent. Professional and Business Services also had a strong 12 months, adding 5,991 jobs (2 percent). Management of Companies and Enterprises added 1,574 jobs (2.2 percent), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services added 1,593 (1.3 percent), and Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services added 2,824 (2.6 percent). The largest supersector in the metro area, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, showed flat employment on the year, adding just 143 jobs (0 percent) as component Retail Trade lost 707 jobs (0.4 percent). This was the first over-the-year loss for Retail Trade since 2010, save a temporary 0.7 percent loss in December 2015.
The Duluth-Superior MSA added 2,761 jobs (2.1 percent) in June. The largest numerical growth came in Leisure and Hospitality, up 1,367 (9.7 percent), while the largest proportional growth was in Mining, Logging, and Construction, which added 994 jobs (11.7 percent). Two supersectors lost jobs. Government employers dropped 629 jobs (2.4 percent) with losses at both State (down 311, 4.3 percent), and Local (down 348, 2 percent) levels. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities lost 120 jobs (0.5 percent) from a drop of 253 (1.6 percent) in Retail Trade. Annually, the Duluth area lost 282 jobs (0.2 percent), which made it the only MSA in the state to lose jobs on the year. However, the MSA has been adding employment in recent months, and over-the-year job losses have been shrinking. Goods producers are responsible for much of the annual job loss, as Manufacturing shed 676 jobs (8.9 percent), and Mining, Logging, and Construction lost 358 (3.6 percent). Educational and Health Services remained the bright spot for the region, adding 1,172 jobs (3.8 percent) since June of 2015.
Employment in the Rochester MSA was up by 2,282 jobs (1.9 percent) in June. It was the largest over-the-month increase for the area since June of 2013, which also saw a 1.9 percent increase. The only supersector to lose jobs in June was Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, which shed 55 jobs (0.3 percent) as both Wholesale and Retail Trade lost employment (down 53 jobs or 1.8 percent and 47 jobs or 0.4 percent, respectively). Mining, Logging, and Construction added 363 jobs (7.8 percent) for the month, while Leisure and Hospitality added 555 (5.5 percent). Annually, Rochester added 2,147 jobs (1.8 percent). The overwhelming strength of the labor market was Educational and Health Services, which added 2,037 jobs (4.4 percent) on the year. On the flip side of that strength was Manufacturing, which lost more jobs on the year than any other supersector by a large margin, off by 571 or 5.1 percent.
The St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area added 1,488 jobs (1.4 percent) in June, as goods producers Mining, Logging, and Construction added 562 jobs (8 percent), and Manufacturing added 435 jobs (3 percent). The only supersectors to lose employment were Educational and Health Services (off by 306 or 1.4 percent), and Government, which lost 118 jobs (0.7 percent), thanks to a loss of 248 (5.5 percent) from State Government employers. Over the year, St. Cloud added 3,151 jobs (2.9 percent), which represented the fastest over-the-year growth for any MSA in the state. Educational and Health Services added 1,505 jobs (7.3 percent), Professional and Business Services added 537 (6.3 percent), and Mining, Logging, and Construction added 587 (8.4 percent). Manufacturing lost 103 jobs (0.7 percent), and Leisure and Hospitality lost 302 (3.3 percent).
Employment in the Mankato-North Mankato MSA was up by 128 (0.2 percent) in June. Goods Producing industries added 186 jobs (1.9 percent) while Service Providing industries lost 58 (0.1 percent). Both public and private sector employment grew by 0.2 percent on the month. Annually, the Mankato area added 1,333 jobs (2.4 percent). The only published component group to lose employment was Goods Producing industries, which shed 195 jobs (1.9 percent).
Employment in the Fargo-Moorhead MSA was up by 492 (0.4 percent) in June in spite of a large drop in Government employment (down 1,048 jobs or 5.6 percent). Professional and Business Services added 813 jobs (5 percent) on the strength of an additional 403 jobs (6.5 percent) in Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services. Mining, Logging, and Construction added 706 jobs (7 percent), while Leisure and Hospitality actually lost employment (off by 46 or 0.3 percent). Annually, the MSA added 2,987 jobs (2.2 percent). Manufacturing (down 166 or 1.7 percent) and Other Services (down 39, 0.7 percent) were the only supersectors to lose jobs on the year.
Employment in the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks MSA was off by 289 (0.5 percent) in June, making it the only MSA in Minnesota to lose jobs for the month. Leisure and Hospitality, an area which generally grows in June, actually shed jobs faster than any other supersector, down 206 or 3.4 percent. The other traditional warm-weather supersector, Mining, Logging, and Construction, added 251 jobs (7 percent). Annually, employment in the area remained up, adding 92 jobs (0.2 percent) from June of 2015. While most supersectors added smaller numbers of jobs, these gains were counterbalanced by a loss of 330 (2.3 percent) in Government employment.
