by Nick Dobbins
November 2023
Monthly analysis is based on seasonally adjusted employment data.
Yearly analysis is based on unadjusted employment data.
Employment was up by 7,000 jobs (0.2%) over the month in October on a seasonally adjusted basis. It was the third consecutive month of employment growth for the state. Service providers added 7,400 jobs (0.3%) while goods producers lost 400 jobs (0.1%).
On an annual basis employment in Minnesota was up by 42,266 jobs or 1.4%., down from 1.7% annual growth in September. Service providers added 39,470 jobs (1.6%), and goods producers added 2,796 jobs (0.6%).
Employment in Mining and Logging was up by 100 (1.6%) over the month on a seasonally adjusted basis. It was the first positive monthly growth in the supersector since April.
On an annual basis Mining and Logging employment was up by 216 jobs or 3.4%. This was an improvement over September's 2.3% over the year increase in the supersector.
Construction employers added 1,200 jobs (0.9%) of October. The supersector has posted positive growth in 8 of 10 months so far in 2023.
Over the year Construction employment was up 6,850 or 4.8%. This was the highest proportional growth of any supersector in the state. Specialty Trade Contractors added 4,804 jobs or 5.3%, and Heavy and Civil Engineering added 1,825 jobs or 8.1%. Every published component sector had positive annual growth in October.
Employment in Manufacturing was off by 1,700 (0.5%) in October. It was one of only three supersectors to lose jobs over the month. Durable Goods manufacturers lost 700 jobs (0.3%), while their counterparts in Non-Durable Goods lost 1,000 (0.9%). Manufacturers have lost jobs in six of 10 months in 2023 so far.
Over the year Manufacturing employment was down by 4,270 (1.3%). It was one of only four published supersectors to post negative annual growth in October. Both major components lost bs on the year. Durable Goods was down by 2,204 (1%) while Non-Durable Goods was down by 2,066 (1.7%). Employment in Animal Slaughtering and Processing, a component of Non-Durable Goods, was off by 7.7% (1,384 jobs).
Monthly employment in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities was up by 900 (0.2%) in October. Both Trade components added jobs, with Wholesale Trade up 900 (0.7%) and Retail Trade up 1,400 (0.5%). Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities lost 1,400 jobs (1.2%), limiting overall growth for the supersector.
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities employment was up by 11,212 (2.1%) over the year in October. Wholesale Trade lost 407 jobs (0.3%), while Retail Trade was up 6,693 (2.4%), with Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers showing particular strength, up 5.5% or 1,885 jobs. Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities employment was up 4,926 (4.2%).
Information employment was off by 0.4% (200 jobs) over the month of October. The supersector has not added jobs since June and has lost 1,500 seasonally adjusted jobs so far in 2023.
On an annual basis employment in Information was down by 1,326 (2.9%) in October, notably worse than September's 0.4% positive annual growth. Telecommunications lost 408 jobs in October (4.4%), and Publishing lost 375 (1.9%).
Employment in Financial Activities was down by 1,600 (0.9%) in October. The supersector has not added jobs over the course of any single month in 2023. Finance and Insurance lost 1,100 jobs (0.7%) in October, and Real Estate and Rental and Leasing lost 500 (1.4%).
On an annual basis Financial Activities employment was off by 7,407 jobs (3.8%), with declines in every published component sector. This was the largest proportional decline of any supersector in the state. Finance and Insurance employment was off by 5,937 jobs (3.8%), and Real Estate and Rental and Leasing was down by 1,470 (4.1%).
Employment in Professional and Business Services was up by 1,900 (0.5%) over the month in October. The growth was driven primarily by Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, which added 1,700 jobs (1%). Management of Companies added 200 jobs (0.2%), while Administrative and Support and Waste Management Services employment was flat.
Over the year Professional and Business Services lost 8,346 jobs (2.1%), with losses in all three published component sectors. The steepest declines came in Administrative and Support and Waste Management, which was off by 4.3% (6,166 jobs) in part from the loss of 5,908 jobs (8.8%) in the Employment Services component.
Educational and Health Services employment was up by 3,200 (0.6%) in October. The supersector has not lost jobs in any month of 2023. The October growth came entirely in Health Care and Social Assistance, which added 3,500 jobs (0.7%), as Educational Services employment was off by 300 (0.4%).
On an annual basis Educational and Health Services employment was up by 25,247 (4.5%). As was the case over the month, Health Care and Social Assistance was the sole driver of growth, adding 25,548 jobs (5.3%), with particularly noteworthy growth coming in Nursing and Residential Care Facilities, which was up 6.3% (6,324 jobs). Educational Services employment was down by 301 jobs or 0.4%.
Leisure and Hospitality employment was up by 1,600 (0.6%) over the month in October. It was the third consecutive month of seasonally adjusted growth for the supersector. Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation added 400 jobs (0.8%), and Accommodation and Food Services added 1,200 (0.5%).
Employment in Leisure and Hospitality was up by 7,371 jobs (2.8%) on an annual basis in October. Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation added 3,758 jobs (7.8%), and Accommodation and Food Services added 3,613 (1.7%).
Other Services employment was up 200 (0.2%) in October, after losing 1,100 jobs in September. The supersector has added 2,500 seasonally adjusted jobs in 2023.
On an annual basis Other Services employers added 716 jobs (0.7%). The growth came primarily in Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, and Professional Organizations, which added 701 jobs or 1.2%. Repair and Maintenance was up 62 (0.3%), while Personal and Laundry Services lost 47 jobs (0.2%).
Government employers added 1,800 jobs (0.4%) in September. The growth came primarily at the Local Government level, which added 1,700 jobs (0.6%). Federal employers added 100 jobs (0.3%), and State Government employment growth was flat.
Government employment was up by 1,400 (0.3%) over the month in October. Every level of government posted positive monthly growth, led by Local Government, which was up 1,100 or 0.4%.
Over the year Government employers added 12,003 jobs (2.9%). Local Government employment was up 9,660 (3.4%), and State Government added 1,111, with all of that coming in the Educational Services component (up 1,360 or 3.3%). Non-Education state employment was down by 249 or 0.4%. Federal employers added 1,232 jobs or 3.9% in October.
| Minnesota Seasonally Adjusted Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (In Thousands) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Oct-23 | Sep-23 | Aug-23 |
| Total Nonfarm | 3001.3 | 2994.3 | 2986.8 |
| Goods-Producing | 468 | 468.4 | 468.2 |
| Mining and Logging | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| Construction | 139.8 | 138.6 | 139.1 |
| Manufacturing | 321.7 | 323.4 | 322.7 |
| Service-Providing | 2533.3 | 2525.9 | 2518.6 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 536.9 | 536 | 533.9 |
| Information | 45.3 | 45.5 | 45.5 |
| Financial Activities | 186 | 187.6 | 188.5 |
| Professional and Business Services | 383.8 | 381.9 | 384.8 |
| Educational and Health Services | 577.8 | 574.6 | 569.3 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 272.3 | 270.7 | 267.8 |
| Other Services | 107.9 | 107.7 | 108.8 |
| Government | 423.3 | 421.9 | 420 |
| Source: Department of Employment and Economic Development, Current Employment Statistics, 2023. | |||
