In September, the Minnesota unemployment rate fell 0.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted 3.7 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2 percent.

The state gained 6,400 jobs in September. Over the past year, Minnesota gained 41,259 jobs, an increase of 1.4 percent. U.S. job growth, same time period, was 1.2 percent.

• Professional and business sectors gained 3,600 jobs, leading all other sectors. All gains were in administrative and support, and waste management and remediation services (up 5,000). Management of companies and enterprises lost 200 jobs.
• Education and health services were up 2,000 new jobs and government was up 1,700. Small job gains were realized in other services; financial activities; trade, transportation and utilities; and logging and mining.
• Information and leisure and hospitality both lost 1,700 jobs. Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (down 2,400) was behind the sector’s slowdown. Accommodation and Food Services saw a small 700-job increase.
• Annual (over the year) job growth in Minnesota continued to surpass the US in four of 11 major industry sectors: logging and mining; construction; trade, transportation and utilities; and educational and health services.

Metropolitan Statistical Areas

All Metropolitan Statistical Areas gained jobs, in the past 12 months:

• Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (up 2.1 percent)
• Duluth-Superior MSA (up 1.3 percent)
• Rochester MSA (up 0.9 percent)
• Cloud MSA (up 1.3 percent)
• Mankato MSA (up 1.2 percent)

Alternative Measures of Unemployment

We can get a more complete picture of the state’s labor market by looking at alternative measures of unemployment, and by breaking down the rates by age, gender, and race. The numbers below – from the Current Population Survey – are averages over the past 12 months, and do not fully reflect recent trends.

Some communities face greater challenges than others. Black unemployment decreased by 0.4 percentage points to 8.5 percent in September, for a 0.6 percent change over-the-year. Yet the Black unemployment rate is more than double the White unemployment rate. White unemployment remained stable at 3.1 percent. Hispanic unemployment decreased slightly from 5.4 percent in August to 5.3 percent in September.

As of September 2017, Minnesota’s over-the-year changes in unemployment rate by race or ethnicity includes:

• Black or African American, 8.5 percent, compared to 7.9 percent in September 2016.
• White, 3.1 percent, compared to 2.9 percent in September 2016.
• Hispanic or Latino, 5.3 percent, compared to 5.7 percent in September 2016.

As of September 2017, Minnesota’s over-the-year changes in unemployment rate by age and gender includes:

• Teens (age 16-19), 12.6 percent, compared to 7.8 percent in September 2016.
• Men, 4.4 percent, compared to 4.5 percent in September 2016.
• Women, 3.0 percent, compared to 2.8 percent in September 2016.