By Nick Dobbins
May 2021
Employment in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MSA was up by 1.3% or 24,454 jobs over the month in April. All but three supersectors - Financial Activities, Educational and Health Services, and Other Services - added jobs on the month. The largest monthly increases came in Leisure and Hospitality (up 6.7% or 8,671 jobs) and Mining, Logging, and Construction (up 5.8% or 4,545 jobs). Both supersectors are highly sensitive to seasonal effects and generally ramp up employment in the spring. The largest monthly decline came in Financial Activities, which was down 0.9% (1,413 jobs).
Over the year the metro area added 151,350 jobs or 8.7%, lagging slightly behind the statewide mark of 9%. The largest annual increases came in Leisure and Hospitality (up 69.6% or 56,762 jobs), Other Services (up 32.7% or 16,961 jobs), and Mining, Logging, and Construction (up 10.6% or 7,963 jobs). Only two supersectors lost jobs on the year. Information employment was down 4.9%, suggesting that its recent struggles are not entirely or even primarily from the effect of COVID-19 on the labor market. Financial Activities was down 0.1% on the year (92 jobs), as it did not suffer the same dramatic declines caused by the onset of COVID-19.
The Duluth-Superior MSA added 952 jobs (0.7%) over the month in April. Mining, Logging, and Construction employment was up 4.4% (359 jobs), Professional and Business Services was up 4.5% (326 jobs), and Leisure and Hospitality was up 3.2% (381 jobs). The largest proportional decline in April came in Financial Activities (down 1.2% or 62 jobs) while the largest real decline came in Educational and Health Services (down 223 jobs or 0.7%).
Over the year employment in the Duluth area was up 11,782 or 10%, outpacing the statewide over-the-year change of 9%. Leisure and Hospitality drove the growth in Duluth, as it did across the state, with the supersector adding 5,471 jobs or 82.1%, the largest real and proportional growth by a large margin. Only one supersector, the long-suffering Information, lost jobs on the year (down 1.4% or 15 jobs).
The Rochester MSA added 2,197 jobs (1.9%) in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, slightly better than the state's 1.3% mark. Every supersector added jobs on the month. Mining, Logging, and Construction added 10.2% (442 jobs), the largest proportional growth, and Leisure and Hospitality added 445 jobs (5.2%), the largest real job growth. The lowest growth came in Financial Activities which struggled statewide, up just 0.2% or six jobs on the month.
Over the year the Rochester area added 8,236 jobs or 7.4%. Manufacturing was the only supersector to lose jobs on the year, as it was down 460 or 4.4%. This was unusual movement for Manufacturing, although COVID-19 effects in this supersector were somewhat delayed in 2020, so that may come back into line when May estimates are released. The largest positive growth came in Leisure and Hospitality, up 52.8% or 3,130 jobs.
The St. Cloud MSA added 1,314 jobs (1.3%) in April. Mining, Logging, and Construction led the growth, adding 583 jobs or 8.9%. Leisure and Hospitality added 274 jobs (4.6%), and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 293 jobs (1.4%) thanks to 268 new jobs (2.2%) in Retail Trade.
Over the year the St. Cloud area added 7,610 jobs (7.8%). Financial Activities was the only supersector to post negative annual job growth (down 3.7% or 203 jobs). Leisure and Hospitality had the largest positive growth, adding 2,016 jobs or 47.4%. Other Services employment was up 28.7% or 815 jobs. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities employment was up 1,827 or 9.5%, with growth in all three component sectors.
The Mankato-North Mankato MSA added 438 jobs (0.8%) in April. Goods producers added 251 jobs (2.7%) while service providers added 187 (0.4%).
Over the year the Mankato area added 4,557 jobs (9%), with almost all of that (4,510 jobs) coming among service providers. The private sector added 4,357 jobs, and public sector employers added 200 jobs (2.1%).
Employment in the Fargo-Moorhead MSA was up 0.8% (1,083 jobs) in April. Mining, Logging, and Construction was up 6.8% (624 jobs), and Leisure and Hospitality was up 4.6% (574 jobs), making them the first and second highest supersectors in actual and proportional over-the-month job growth. Educational and Health Services lost 379 jobs or 1.4%, and Information lost 97 jobs or 3.3%.
Over the year the Fargo-Moorhead area added 14,250 jobs or 11.1%. Every supersector but one (Information, down 122 jobs or 4.1%) added jobs on the year. Leisure and Hospitality was up 84.4% (5,936 jobs), and Mining, Logging, and Construction was up 28.1% (2,163 jobs).
The Grand Forks-East Grand Forks area added 286 jobs or 0.6% in April. Growth in Mining, Logging, and Construction (up 237 or 9.9%) and Accommodation and Food Services (up 264 or 5%) was mostly offset by losses in Manufacturing (down 257 or 6.5%) and Government (down 133 or 1%), with overall gains buoyed by smaller growth across most of the remaining published supersectors.
Over the year the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks area added 4,473 jobs (9.6%). Leisure and Hospitality added 2,344 jobs (72.7%), Other Services employment was up 23.4% (359 jobs), and Government employment was up by 10.7% or 1,250 jobs. Three supersectors lost jobs on the year, with the largest real declines coming in Manufacturing (down 212 or 5.4%) and the largest proportional declines coming in Professional and Business Services (down 5.9% or 189 jobs).
