Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.

In the current quarterly edition of Trends, LMI analysts provide information about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected a range of industries and workers.

Minnesota’s Health Care Employment Amid a Pandemic

The health care industry is vital during a pandemic, yet there have been unique challenges to the employment pipeline and the paradox of health care layoffs during a public health emergency. This article examines employment changes and workforce demographics in a variety of health care settings.

Early Care and Education: Profile of an Industry in Crisis

Even before COVID-19, the early care and education industry, critical to Minnesota’s workers and employers, had been experiencing a quiet crisis. While the cost of care is high, pay is low, often not even meeting the basic cost of living wage required in the communities in which these programs operate. This article is the first of a two-part series profiling this industry in crisis.

Where Are the Job Seekers?

An examination of a central paradox of the labor market during the pandemic: why some employers are having a hard time filling in-demand jobs despite relatively high unemployment. This article explores whether temporary federal supplemental unemployment benefits played a role in hiring difficulties and what other factors could explain the ongoing lack of workers applying to fill in-demand jobs.

Tracking State Labor Market Indicators Through the Pandemic

Comparison of Minnesota’s labor market indicators over the first six months of the pandemic to those in other states shows that Minnesota’s job market initially deteriorated less dramatically than most states and Minnesota’s rebound is similarly less pronounced.

Understanding Unemployment During the Pandemic Period

A recurring issue in labor market statistics during the pandemic period has been the wide gap between Unemployment Insurance (UI) continued claims and the number of unemployed labor force participants and, as a result, a lower unemployment rate than would be expected based on continued claims data.

The Experience of Latinos in Higher Education and in the Workforce

Latinx Minnesotans are the fastest growing population group in the state and Latinx Minnesotans work in some of the most in-demand sectors of the economy, including food manufacturing, health care, food services and child care. Unfortunately Latinx workers in Minnesota have very low rates of health insurance and full-time employment, which make them particularly vulnerable to the economic downturn and job losses caused by COVID-19. This article examines how increasing educational attainment could help address employment disparities.

Training for a Career Next Step: Minnesota’s Eligible Training Provider List

Our economy is shifting in unprecedented ways. As a result, people are seeking training and education to advance their career and to better align their skills with industries and occupations in demand now. The Eligible Training Provider List helps to inform customers about their educational choices and provides an awareness of in-demand industries and related education opportunities in Minnesota.

Coming up in our next quarterly issue of Minnesota Economic Trends, due out in December 2020: the latest jobs forecast for Minnesota, an exploration of the drop in labor force participation we saw in September, and the second part of our two-part series, Early Care and Education: Profile of an Industry in Crisis.

You can see an archive of past Minnesota Economic Trends articles on the DEED website.