by Nick Dobbins
July 2019
Monthly analysis is based on seasonally adjusted employment data. Yearly analysis is based on unadjusted employment data.*
Employment in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MSA was up by 24,644 (1.2 percent) in June. Almost every major supersector reported job growth, the dual exceptions being Educational and Health Services, which was down 919 (0.3 percent) on the loss of 1,259 in Educational Services, and Government, which was down 2,395 (1 percent). The largest proportional job growth occurred in Mining, Logging, and Construction (up 5.5 percent or 4,866 jobs) and Leisure and Hospitality (up 5 percent or 9,617), two supersectors that often see large increases in summer months. Annually employment in the metro area was up by 9,078 or 0.4 percent. Goods producers did much of the heavy lifting, as Mining, Logging, and Construction added 3,736 jobs (4.2 percent), and Manufacturing added 2,524 (1.3 percent). Other Services added 1,615 jobs (2 percent), and Leisure and Hospitality employment was up 3,086 (1.9 percent). The most notable job losses came in Educational and Health Services, where employment was off by 5,659 (1.7 percent). Those declines came entirely from Health Care and Social Assistance, which shed 6,251 jobs (2.2 percent) across a number of component sectors. The only other supersectors to lose jobs on the year were Government (down 1,058 or 0.4 percent), Information (down 751 or 2 percent), and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (down 220 or 0.1 percent).
The Duluth-Superior MSA added 687 jobs (0.5 percent) in June, well behind the state’s 1.4 percent over-the-month growth. The supersectors with the most growth were Leisure and Hospitality (up 1,123 or 7.4 percent) and Mining, Logging, and Construction (up 659, 6.6 percent). Government employers lost 1,176 jobs (4.4 percent), with State Government employers shedding 905 jobs or 12.3 percent. Over the year the Duluth area added 165 jobs (0.1 percent). Mining, Logging, and Construction had the largest real and proportional growth, adding 537 jobs or 5.3 percent. On the negative side of the ledger, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities lost 805 jobs (3.2 percent) entirely from the loss of 838 jobs (5.5 percent) in Retail Trade. Financial Activities and Information tied for the largest proportional over-the-year decrease, each of them off by 4.7 percent (268 jobs and 62 jobs, respectively).
The Rochester MSA added 2,153 jobs (1.7 percent) in June, outpacing the Minnesota’s 1.4 percent employment increase. Rochester’s growth came in a variety of supersectors. Summer stalwarts Mining, Logging, and Construction (up 193 or 3.8 percent) and Leisure and Hospitality (up 215, 1.8 percent) added jobs, but so did Manufacturing (up 635 or 5.9 percent) and Government (up 437 or 3.4 percent), two supersectors that did not perform nearly as well statewide. Only two supersectors had negative growth on the month: Trade, Transportation, and Utilities was down 0.2 percent, and Other Services lost 0.7 percent for a total of 58 jobs. Over the year Rochester added 1,682 jobs or 1.4 percent. This was the largest proportional over-the-year growth of any MSA in the state. Educational and Health Services added 899 jobs (1.8 percent), and Manufacturing added 577 (5.3 percent).
The Saint Cloud MSA lost 531 jobs (0.5 percent) in June. It was the largest proportional over-the-month job loss of any MSA in the state, and the only MSA entirely in Minnesota to lose jobs. Both of our North Dakota split MSAs, Fargo-Moorhead and Grand Forks-East Grand Forks, also lost jobs on the month. Service providers drove the losses, as Educational and Health Services was off 680 (3 percent), and Government was off 872 (5.6 percent) in large part from the loss of 991 jobs (24.9 percent) in State Government. Annually the MSA added 1,475 jobs (1.3 percent). Mining, Logging, and Construction had the largest proportional growth, up 10.1 percent or 764 jobs. Educational and Health Services added 791 jobs (3.7 percent).
The Mankato-North Mankato MSA added 113 jobs (0.2 percent) in June. Goods producers added 239 jobs (2.3 percent), making up for the loss of 126 jobs (0.3 percent) among service providers. Annually employment in the MSA was up by 708 jobs (1.2 percent). All reported industry categories gained jobs, with goods producers adding 233 jobs (2.2 percent) and service providers adding 475 (1 percent).
The Fargo-Moorhead MSA lost 515 jobs (0.4 percent) in June, as both MSAs that Minnesota shares with North Dakota lost jobs on the month. The only other reported MSA in the state to do so was St. Cloud. Government employers drove the over-the-month losses, as they shed 1,268 jobs (6.4 percent). On the year the MSA added 996 jobs (0.7 percent). Educational and Health Services added 811 jobs (3.3 percent), and Professional and Business Services added 766 (4.8 percent).
The Grand Forks-East Grand Forks MSA lost 196 jobs (0.4 percent) in June. Declines were largely driven by Government employment, which was off by 513 jobs (3.7 percent) with declines at the Federal, State, and Local levels. Over the year the MSA lost 438 jobs (0.8 percent). It was the only published MSA in Minnesota to experience negative over-the-year growth on the year. As was the case in previous months, the decline was primarily the product of losses in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (down 424 jobs or 3.8 percent), which themselves were caused by the loss of 529 jobs (7.4 percent) in the Retail Trade component. Government employment was also down on the year, off 433 jobs (3.2 percent) from June of 2018.
