by Nick Dobbins
November 2014
Monthly analysis is based on unadjusted employment data.
Employment in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MSA was up in October as the metro added 11,246 jobs (0.6 percent). Employment gains were split between the public and private sectors, and goods producers and service providers also saw job growth. As in September, gains were led by the Government (up 6,749, 2.8 percent) and Educational and Health Services supersectors (up 3,079, 1.0 percent) as staffing levels ramped up for the start of the school year. This is most apparent in Government employment, where Local Government Educational Services added 6,812 jobs (8.4 percent). Gains in Educational and Health Services were actually split between major component sectors, with Educational Services adding 1,008 jobs (2.2 percent) and Health Care and Social Assistance adding 2,071 (0.8 percent). On an annual basis, the MSA added 31,116 jobs (1.7 percent). The only three supersectors to shed jobs over the past 12 months were Mining, Logging, and Construction (down 485 or 0.7 percent), Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (down 2,720, 0.8 percent), and Financial Activities (down 1,002, 0.7 percent).
Duluth-Superior MSA employment ticked up in October, adding 395 jobs (0.3 percent) over September estimates. The growth is almost entirely from Government employers, as the private sector lost 740 jobs (0.7 percent) for the month, led by a drop of 1,294 (9.2 percent) in Leisure and Hospitality as the weather turned cold. Government employment jumped by 1,135 (4.4 percent) with the most significant growth coming in Local Government, up 875 (5.4 percent). For the year, Duluth's employment level remained static, adding just 35 jobs (0.0 percent) since October 2013. Gains in Mining, Logging, and Construction (up 263, 2.9 percent), Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (up 219, 0.9 percent), Educational and Health Services (up 796, 2.5 percent), and Other Services (up 502, 7.9 percent) were balanced by a steep drop in Leisure and Hospitality, which is down 1,316 (9.3 percent) on the year. This over-the-year decline seems to be at least partially caused by a tourist season that ran later into the fall than usual in 2013.
Employment in the Rochester MSA grew in October as the metro added 430 jobs (0.4 percent) on September estimates. As was the case in other Minnesota MSAs, Government (up 335 or 3.2 percent) and Educational and Health Services (up 281, 0.6 percent) played a large role in the growth. They were joined by Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, which added 252 jobs (1.5 percent). On an annual basis, Rochester added 926 jobs (0.9 percent). Industries with significant over-the-year growth included Manufacturing (up 435, 4.3 percent) and Educational and Health Services (up 411, 0.9 percent). Supersectors to shed the most jobs were Mining, Logging, and Construction (down 232, 5.9 percent) and Government (down 194, 1.8 percent).
St. Cloud MSA employment expanded again in October, adding 1,307 jobs (1.2 percent) for the month. Aside from the expected growth in Government and Educational and Health Services, supersectors with significant employment expansion included Professional and Business Services (up 127, 1.4 percent) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (up 179, 0.9 percent). For the year, St. Cloud added 1,849 jobs (1.7 percent), with growth in every supersector with the exceptions of Government (down 429, 2.7 percent), Information (down 82, 4.8 percent), Other Services (down 2, 0.1 percent), and Financial Activities (down 18, 0.4 percent).
Employment in the Mankato-North Mankato MSA grew again in October, adding 1,678 jobs (3.0 percent) for the month. Most of this growth came from private service providers, who added 1,119 jobs (3 percent), while Government employers added 565 jobs (6.6 percent). For the year the MSA added 1,532 jobs (2.7 percent) with growth in every published sector except Government, which shed 151 jobs (1.6 percent).
Fargo-Moorhead MSA employment was up in October, adding 1,496 jobs (1.1 percent) over September estimates. Notable job growth occurred in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (up 726, 2.5 percent), Educational and Health Services (up 451, 2.1 percent), and Government (up 419, 2.3 percent). Annually, the MSA added 4,363 jobs (3.2 percent), with at least slight growth in every supersector except Manufacturing, which lost 41 jobs (0.4 percent) from October 2013. The lion's share of job growth remains centered in Mining, Logging, and Construction, up 1,703 jobs (19.3 percent) since October 2013.
Employment in the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks MSA was up again in October, adding 953 jobs (1.7 percent) as service provider's employment grew by 1,020 (2.1 percent), more than making up for the loss of 77 jobs (1.0 percent) among goods producers. For the year, the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks area added 256 jobs (0.4 percent). Mining, Logging, and Construction grew by 207 jobs (5.9 percent), and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 228 (1.9 percent), while supersectors shedding jobs included Government (down 176, 1.2 percent) and Leisure and Hospitality (down 261, 4.1 percent).
