by Nick Dobbins
March 2014
Monthly analysis is based on unadjusted employment data.
Employment climbed 3,371 (0.2 percent) over the month of February and was up 21,928 (1.2 percent) over the year. A small decline in Private Sector employment in February (down 1,665 or 0.1 percent) was more than offset by Government employment, which rose 5,036 (2.1 percent) as schools returned from winter break, completely gaining back the jobs the industry lost in January. Goods-producing industries lost 2,236 jobs (0.9 percent) in February, primarily from a drop of 2,775 (5.1 percent) in Mining, Logging, and Construction. Manufacturing employment ticked up slightly, gaining 539 jobs (0.3 percent). Service-providing employment was up 5,607 (0.4 percent). Other industry groups with notable monthly movement: Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (down 4,475 or 1.4 percent), Financial Activities (down 1,051, 0.4 percent), Professional and Business Services (down 3,889, 0.3 percent), and Educational and Health Services (gaining 6,323 or 2.1 percent).
Employment in the Duluth-Superior MSA was up 1,959 (1.5 percent) over the month and remains up for the year, holding on to 1,093 (0.8 percent) more jobs than in February of 2013. Private Sector and Government employment both showed gains for February, up 365 (0.4 percent) and 1,594 (6.2 percent) respectively. The biggest monthly gain was in State Government, which added 1,216 jobs (17.3 percent). The small gains in the Private Sector were split between goods producers and service providers. Retail Trade saw the largest declines for an industry, losing 266 jobs (1.7 percent) in February. Wholesale Trade, Information, and Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities also had small losses for the month. Industries with notable over-the-year changes include Leisure and Hospitality (up 916, or 7.4 percent), Educational and Health Services (up 698, 2.3 percent), Manufacturing (down 103 or 1.4 percent), Wholesale Trade (down 115, 3.7 percent), and Professional and Business Services (down 254, 3.3 percent).
Employment in the Rochester MSA was down slightly in February, dropping by 262 (0.2 percent) to settle at 106,492. For the year Rochester employment remains up with 376 more jobs (0.4 percent) than in February 2013. Monthly losses in Retail Trade (down 411 or 3.4 percent), Leisure and Hospitality (down 140, 1.6 percent), and Mining, Logging, and Construction (down 135, 4.5 percent) offset gains in Educational and Health Services (up 240 or 0.6 percent), Government (up 140, 1.2 percent), and Manufacturing (up 47, 0.5 percent). For the year noteworthy employment shifts occurred in Manufacturing (down 497, 4.9 percent), Information (up 90, 5.5 percent), Government (up 517, 4.7 percent), and Other Services (up 167, 4.6 percent).
Employment in the St. Cloud MSA recovered from its January loss with an increase of 1,469 (1.4 percent) for the month of February. With employment in goods-producing industries basically flat, growth was driven by service-providers, with conspicuous increases in Professional and Business Services (up 611, 7.2 percent), Educational and Health Services (389, 2 percent), and Government (808, 5.2 percent). Over the year, employment in the St. Cloud MSA increased by 2,326 (2.3 percent) to 103,276. The only major industry groups showing employment losses over the last 12 months were Information (down 30 or 1.8 percent), Government (54, 0.3 percent), and Other Services (2, 0.1 percent).
Employment in the Mankato-North Mankato MSA climbed by 500 (0.9 percent) to settle at 54,977 for the month. Employment was also up on the year, with 1,285 (2.4 percent) more jobs in February 2014 than in 2013. Private Sector employment gained 199 (0.4 percent) for the month, while Government employment grew by 301 (3.4 percent). Over the year, however, Government employment in the metro is down 178 (1.9 percent).
Employment in the Fargo-Moorhead MSA jumped 1,174 (0.9 percent) for the month of February. Private and Government employers both grew as service-providing industries added 1,234 (1.1 percent), overcoming a small loss in employment among goods producers. Notable monthly gains occurred in Professional and Business Services (up 297 or 1.9 percent), Educational and Health Services (645, 3.1 percent), and Leisure and Hospitality (539, 4.3 percent). For the year, employment was up 2,582 (2.0 percent), with gains spread across most industries. The only supersector to lose jobs for the year was Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, which dropped 252 (0.9 percent) on the back of a decline of 616 (4.0 percent) in Retail Trade.
Employment in the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks MSA increased 349 (0.6 percent) over the month and 643 (1.2 percent) over the year. Government employment led the monthly increase, gaining 429 (2.9 percent) in February, by far the largest numerical change in any major industry group in the area. Significant monthly declines occurred in Mining, Logging, and Construction (down 82, 3.0 percent) and Wholesale Trade (down 26, 1.3 percent). For the year most industries and major industry groups saw some employment increase with exceptions in Government, which lost 46 (0.3 percent), Professional and Business Services (down 166, 5.8 percent), and Wholesale Trade (down 7, 0.4 percent).
