By Nick Dobbins
November 2023
The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MSA added 17,601 jobs (0.9%) over the month in October. This was slightly less than the statewide growth of 1%. The largest real and proportional growth came in Government employment, which was up 8,146 jobs or 3.3%. Every published component of the supersector added jobs, with the monthly growth being driven by education as Local Government Educational Services added 5,821 jobs (5.6%), and State Government Educational Services added 1,062 jobs (2.8%). Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 6,425 jobs (1.9%) with growth in all three major component sectors, and Educational and Health Services added 6,091 jobs (1.7%), with Educational Services up 1,639 (3.6%) and Health Care and Social Assistance up 4,452 (1.4%). Conversely, the largest real and proportional declines came in Leisure and Hospitality (down 3,784 jobs or 2%) as that supersector continued to contract going into the winter season. Five of 10 published supersectors lost jobs on the month.
Over the year the metro area added 26,350 jobs or 1.3%, a tick below the statewide growth of 1.4%. Educational and Health Services added 17,229 jobs or 4.9%, with that growth coming entirely in Health Care and Social Assistance (up 17,400 or 5.8%). Government employers added 10,526 jobs (4.3%), and Leisure and Hospitality employers added 8,676 jobs (4.8%). Four supersectors posted negative annual growth. The largest real job loss came in Professional and Business Services, which was off by 8,912 or 2.9%, with component Employment Services off by 10.2% (4,981 jobs). The largest proportional job loss was in Financial Services, which was off by 4.6% or 6,785 jobs. Every published component sector in Financial Services posted negative annual growth.
The Duluth-Superior MSA added 1,835 jobs (1.4%) in October. Government employers drove the growth, adding 1,052 jobs (4.2%) with most of that growth coming at the Local Government level (up 720 or 4.6%). Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 575 jobs (2.3%), with Retail Trade up 464 or 3%. Three supersectors lost jobs in October, with the largest real and proportional declines coming in Leisure and Hospitality (down 312 or 2.2%). Both Information and Financial Activities lost fewer than 10 jobs each.
Over the year the Duluth area added 819 jobs or 0.6%, trailing the statewide annual growth of 1.4%. Six of 10 published supersectors lost jobs, with Mining, Logging, and Construction down 539 (4.8%) and Leisure and Hospitality down 638 (4.4%). The largest real job growth came in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, which added 1,091 jobs (4.5%) thanks in large part to the addition of 996 jobs (6.8%) in Retail Trade. Other Services posted the largest proportional growth, up 5.9% or 339 jobs.
The Rochester MSA added 931 jobs or 0.7% over the month of October. This was the lowest proportional monthly growth of any MSA primarily in Minnesota although higher than Fargo-Moorhead, which is primarily in North Dakota. Educational and Health Services added 584 jobs (1%), Professional and Business Services added 102 (1.6%), and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 251 jobs (1.4%) on the strength of 217 new jobs in Retail Trade (up 1.7%). Three supersectors posted negative growth, with the largest real and proportional declines coming in Leisure and Hospitality, which was down 124 or 1.2%.
Over the year the Rochester MSA added 4,365 jobs or 3.5%, outpacing the statewide 1.4% growth. Educational and Health Services employment was up by 3,481 (6.6%), and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities was up 1,196 (7.2%). Six of 10 published supersectors lost jobs, although no declines were as large as the biggest positive growth supersectors. Manufacturing had the largest real job loss, off by 236 (2.4%), and the largest proportional decline came in Information, which was down by 3.6% or 39 jobs.
The St. Cloud MSA added 1,211 jobs or 1.1%, in October. The largest real and proportional growth came in Government, which added 569 jobs or 3.9%. State Government was up 235 (6.8%), and Local Government was up 322 (3.7%). Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 563 jobs (2.6%) with most of that growth coming in Retail Trade (up 512 or 4.6%). Three supersectors lost jobs on the month, with the steepest declines coming in Manufacturing (down 97 jobs or 0.6%).
Over the year the St. Cloud MSA added 359 jobs or 0.3%. The largest real job growth came in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, which added 601 jobs (2.8%) despite the loss of 118 jobs (2.4%) in Wholesale Trade. The largest proportional growth was in Other Services, which was up 4.6% (173 jobs). Four supersectors in the area lost jobs over the year. Professional and Business Services lost 452 jobs (5.9%), and Mining, Logging, and Construction lost 346 jobs (4%).
The Mankato-North Mankato MSA added 1,430 jobs or 2.4% over the month of October. This was the highest proportional monthly growth of any MSA in the state. Service providers added 1,245 jobs (2.5%), and goods producers added 185 jobs (1.7%). Government employment, which is a subset of service providing industries, was up 423 or 4%. Every published series posted positive monthly growth.
Over the year employment in Mankato-North Mankato was up 3,800 or 6.5%. This was the highest proportional annual growth in Minnesota. Service providers added 3,146 jobs (6.6%), aided by Government employment which was up 12.5% (1,216 jobs). Goods producers added 654 jobs or 6.3%.
The Fargo-Moorhead MSA added 88 jobs or 0.1% in October. This was the lowest proportional monthly growth of any MSA in the state. The largest real and proportional growth came in Government employment, which was up 428 or 2.2%. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 248 jobs, or 0.8%. Seven of 10 published supersectors lost jobs, with the largest real and proportional declines coming in Professional and Business Services, which was off by 383 or 2.5%. Leisure and Hospitality was down 216 or 1.5%.
Over the year the Fargo-Moorhead MSA added 58 jobs, essentially flat at 0.0% growth. This was the lowest proportional annual growth in the state. Educational and Health Services added 726 jobs (2.5%), and Other Services was up 3% or 149 jobs. Mining, Logging, and Construction posted the largest real and proportional job losses, shedding 622 jobs or 6.2%.
The Grand Forks-East Grand Forks MSA added 929 jobs (1.7%) over the month in October. Government employment drove the growth, adding 598 jobs or 4.6%, with Local Government employment up 433 or 7.1%. Only two supersectors lost jobs on the month as Mining, Logging, and Construction was off by 19 (0.6%), and Information was off by 7 jobs (1.2%).
Over the year the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks MSA added 1,116 jobs or 2.1%. Government employers added 537 jobs (4.1%) with growth in all three components. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities was up 334 (3.2%) in large part from the addition of 321 jobs (4.9%) in Retail Trade. Four supersectors in the MSA lost jobs on the year, but the largest real decline came in Mining, Logging, and Construction, which was off by 75 jobs or 2.3%. Information posted the largest proportional decline, down 3.1% or 18 jobs.
