by Nick Dobbins
October 2018
Monthly analysis is based on unadjusted employment data.
Employment in the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA was off by 5,112 (0.3 percent) in September. Most supersectors shed jobs on the month. Leisure and Hospitality drove the losses, down 10,836 (5.3 percent), joined by Mining, Logging, and Construction (off 2,658 or 2.8 percent), Professional and Business Services (off 4,962 or 1.5 percent), and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (off 5,170, 1.4 percent) among others. Government, however, added 18,558 jobs (7.8 percent) on the growth of 11,499 (14.9 percent) in Local Government Educational Services and 8,100 (23.1 percent) in State Government Educational Services. Over the year the metro area added 33,342 jobs (1.7 percent), outpacing the state’s 1.3 percent growth. All but one supersector, long-struggling Information, added jobs on the year. Mining, Logging, and Construction added 4,972 (5.8 percent) jobs, the largest proportional growth of any supersector. Manufacturing added 5,668 jobs (2.9 percent), and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 9,931 (2.8 percent) with growth in all three component sectors.
The Duluth-Superior MSA added 1,251 jobs (0.9 percent) in September. Government led the growth, adding 2,339 jobs (9.4 percent) at the State and Local levels (up 1,243 or 17.5 percent and 1,108 or 6.9 percent, respectively). Leisure and Hospitality lost 1,003 jobs (6.2 percent), and Mining, Logging, and Construction lost 125 (1.3 percent). Annual employment rose by 1,133 (0.8 percent) in the region. Notable growth industries included Mining, Logging, and Construction (up 432 or 4.6 percent), Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (up 747 or 3 percent), and Other Services (up 177, 2.7 percent). Supersectors losing jobs over the year included Educational and Health Services (down 482 or 1.5 percent), Leisure and Hospitality (down 267, 1.7 percent), and Professional and Business Services (down 88, 1.1 percent).
Employment in the Rochester MSA was off by 547 jobs (0.4 percent). Every supersector save one lost jobs. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 89 jobs (0.5 percent) thanks to growth of 131 (4.6 percent) in Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities. Within Minnesota only the Rochester MSA saw loses in Government on the month, suggesting that autumn growth in education jobs is yet to come. Over the year the MSA added 797 jobs (0.7 percent). Leisure and Hospitality had the largest over-the-year growth, both proportionally and in real jobs, up by 914 (8.1 percent). Professional and Business Services employment grew 238 (4.4 percent). Notable losses came in Educational and Health Services (down 664, 1.4 percent) and Mining, Logging, and Construction (down 132, 2.6 percent).
Employment in the Saint Cloud MSA was up by 507 (0.5 percent) in September. Government added 963 jobs (6.9 percent) primarily in State Government (up 779, 24.5 percent). Only two other supersectors added jobs: Educational and Health Services (up 225 or 1 percent) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (up 4, 0 percent). Every other industry group showed over-the-month losses led by the seasonal Leisure and Hospitality (down 265 jobs or 2.8 percent). Over the year the MSA added 1,725 jobs (1.6 percent) with growth coming in most supersectors. Mining, Logging, and Construction added 349 jobs (4.9 percent), and Manufacturing added 778 (5.1 percent). The only supersectors to contract on the year were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (off 145 or 0.7 percent, entirely in Retail Trade) and Information (down 47 jobs or 3 percent).
The Mankato-North Mankato MSA added 1,603 jobs (2.7 percent) in September. This was the largest over-the-month growth of any MSA entirely within the state, continuing the area’s recent strong performance. Growth was driven entirely by Service Providers, up 1,685 jobs (3.5 percent) as Goods Producers shed 82 (0.8 percent). Government added 1,041 jobs (11.4 percent), and the private sector added 562 (1.1 percent). The MSA also had the largest over-the-year growth of any published MSA in the state. This growth was shared between Services Providers (up 1,406 or 2.9 percent) and Goods Producers (up 452 or 4.4 percent). Government added 896 jobs (9.6 percent) while the private sector added 952 (2 percent).
Employment in the Fargo-Moorhead MSA was up by 2,088 (1.5 percent) in September. Government added 2,885 jobs (17.8 percent) with almost all of that growth coming at the state and local levels. While only four of the 10 published supersectors lost jobs, those losses were generally larger than the gains in other areas. Mining, Logging, and Construction lost 287 jobs (2.8 percent), and Leisure and Hospitality lost 435 (3.1 percent). Annually the MSA added 1,010 jobs (0.7 percent). The most jobs were added in Educational and Health Services (up 760 or 3.1 percent) while the largest proportional growth occurred in Mining, Logging, and Construction (up 396 or 4.1 percent).
The Grand Forks-East Grand Forks MSA added 2,238 jobs (4.1 percent) in September. This was the largest proportional over-the-month growth of our published MSAs. Growth was driven by 1,955 jobs (16.7 percent growth) in Government. Over the year the MSA added 21 jobs (0.0 percent). This was the lowest over-the-year growth of any published MSA in the state. Government lost 523 jobs (3.7 percent) while Manufacturers added 194 jobs (4.4 percent).
