With the recent change in the gubernatorial administration and January coming to a close, it’s time to look back over the past eight years of the Dayton administration, assess Minnesota’s employment conditions, and see how current conditions compare to those in play during previous administrations.

No single elected state official deserves all the blame or all the credit for changing conditions well beyond their control. Governors of both parties have seen broader cyclical trends impact the state’s economy – as this comparison highlights. To ignore these impacts and attribute good or bad performance to the office holder overstates their influence over these trends.

Gubernatorial administrations are frequently used as time references in discussing the state of our economy. In a time of strong partisan preference, it is especially valuable to provide an objective comparison for the record.

Read How the Dayton Years Compare to Previous Administrations in Minnesota Economic Trends.