by Nick Dobbins
November 2019
Monthly analysis is based on seasonally adjusted employment data. Yearly analysis is based on unadjusted employment data.*
Employment in Minnesota was up by 7,400 (0.2 percent) in October on a seasonally adjusted basis. Private sector employers added 7,200 of the jobs, while the public sector expanded by 200. Goods producers were up by 2,100 (0.5 percent) and service providers by 5,300 (0.2 percent). On the year the state added 12,575 jobs (0.4 percent). Goods producers added 5,377 jobs (1.2 percent), and service providers added 7,198 (0.3 percent).
Employment in the Mining and Logging supersector was flat in October at 6,800 jobs. It has not moved off that number since it was at 6,700 jobs in February. On the year the supersector added 220 jobs (3.2 percent). This is an improvement from the negative 0.2 percent annual growth the supersector posted in September.
Employers in the Construction supersector added 800 jobs (0.6 percent) in October on a seasonally adjusted basis. The increase came after two consecutive months of job losses. Over the year Construction employers added 4,276 jobs (3.2 percent). The growth came almost exclusively from the Specialty Trade Contractors supersector, which was up 4,985 jobs (5.8 percent), while employment in Construction of Buildings was up just 45 (0.2 percent), and Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction was down by 754 (3.7 percent).
Manufacturers added 1,300 jobs (0.4 percent) in October. It was the supersector’s second consecutive month of 0.4 percent job growth, marking its strongest two-month run since 2014. On an annual basis the supersector added 881 jobs (0.3 percent). Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing added 2,098 (1.8 percent), but their counterpart in Durable Goods Manufacturing lost 1,217 (0.6 percent).
Employment in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities was up by 2,500 (0.5 percent) on the month, with growth in all three component sectors. Wholesale Trade added 700 jobs (0.5 percent), Retail Trade added 1,500 (0.5 percent), and Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities added 700 (0.3 percent). On the year the supersector added 2,982 jobs (0.6 percent), which brought positive over-the-year employment growth for the supersector, which was mostly flat in September (up 23 jobs, 0.0 percent) and negative for each of the nine months preceding it. October’s growth was shared by the two trade sectors as Wholesale employers added 1,153 jobs (0.9 percent), and Retail employers added 2,257 (0.8 percent). Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities employment was off by 428 (0.4 percent).
Employment in the Information supersector was off by 1,000 (2.2 percent) on the month. For the year employment was down 3,610 or 7.4 percent. Information employers have had negative over-the-year job growth in every month since early 2017, as the supersector has been on a consistent downward trajectory since 2001.
Employment in the Financial Activities supersector was down by 1,100 (2.2 percent) in October. Finance and Insurance lost 600 jobs (0.4 percent), and Real Estate and Rental and Leasing lost 400 (1.1 percent). Over the year Financial Activities employment was up by 2,588 (1.4 percent). Finance and Insurance was up 2,627 (1.8 percent) with growth in all published component sectors. Real Estate and Rental and Leasing employment was off by 29 (0.1 percent).
Professional and Business Services employment held at 374,400 jobs. This belied, however, the movement at the component sector level, as growth in Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services (up 1,100 or 0.9 percent) was erased by the loss of 1,200 jobs (0.7 percent) in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services. On the year the supersector lost 4,602 jobs (1.2 percent). Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services drove the decline, down 6,709 jobs or 4.9 percent.
Educational and Health Services employment was off by 100 (0.0 percent) in October. Educational Services employers shed 300 jobs (0.4 percent), while Health Care and Social Assistance employers added 200 (0.0 percent). On the year the supersector lost 5,666 jobs (1 percent). It was the second consecutive month with negative growth of 1 percent in the supersector. Educational Services employment was off by 151 (0.2 percent), and Health Care and Social Assistance employment was down 5,515 (1.2 percent).
Educational and Health Services employment was off by 100 (0.0 percent) in October. Educational Services employers shed 300 jobs (0.4 percent), while Health Care and Social Assistance employers added 200 (0.0 percent). On the year the supersector lost 5,666 jobs (1 percent). It was the second consecutive month with negative growth of 1 percent in the supersector. Educational Services employment was off by 151 (0.2 percent), and Health Care and Social Assistance employment was down 5,515 (1.2 percent).
Other Services employment was off by 200 (0.2 percent) in October. The supersector also lost 900 jobs (0.8 percent) in September. On the year employment in Other Services was up by 67 (0.1 percent). Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations, which is the largest component sector and comprises more than half of the supersector’s employment, added 1,350 jobs (2.1 percent), while Repair and Maintenance added 129 (0.6 percent). Personal and Laundry Services, however, lost 1,412 jobs (5.1 percent) on the year, pulling the supersectors total growth down.
Government employment was mostly flat in October as the public sector added 200 jobs (0.0 percent). State employers added 400 jobs (0.4 percent) while Federal and Local employers lost 100 jobs each (0.3 and 0.0 percent, respectively). On the year Government employers added 1,614 jobs (0.4 percent).
| Seasonally Adjusted Nonfarm Employment (in thousands) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Oct-19 | Sep-19 | Aug-19 |
| Total Nonfarm | 2,972.0 | 2,964.6 | 2,963.0 |
| Goods-Producing | 460.1 | 458.0 | 457.3 |
| Mining and Logging | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 |
| Construction | 130.7 | 129.9 | 130.4 |
| Manufacturing | 322.6 | 321.3 | 320.1 |
| Service-Providing | 2,511.9 | 2,506.6 | 2,505.7 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 537.7 | 535.2 | 532.6 |
| Information | 45.2 | 46.2 | 47.5 |
| Financial Activities | 186.9 | 187.9 | 186.4 |
| Professional and Business Services | 374.4 | 374.4 | 375.5 |
| Education and Health Services | 541.3 | 541.4 | 543.2 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 287.0 | 282.1 | 280.0 |
| Other Services | 113.1 | 113.3 | 114.2 |
| Government | 426.3 | 426.1 | 426.3 |
| Source: Department of Employment and Economic Development, Current Employment Statistics, 2019. | |||
*Over-the-year data are not seasonally adjusted because of small changes in seasonal adjustment factors from year to year. Also, there is no seasonality in over-the-year changes.
