October unemployment rate rose, but so did net job numbers.
Despite the apparent anomaly, Minnesota’s unemployment rate inched up by 0.2 percent in October from the previous month as employers were adding a net 2,200 jobs statewide.
The monthly report, released Wednesday, Nov. 19 by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development said unemployment rose to a seasonally adjusted 7.6 percent from a revised 7.4 percent in September. While the data suggests slight improvement, the state’s economy remains fragile, said Commissioner Dan McElroy, announcing the results in Duluth.
“We’re not out of the woods, not even turning the corner, but it’s better than not adding 2,200 jobs,” he said.
The U.S. unemployment rate in October rose to 10.2 percent from 9.8 percent in September.
McElroy said job growth in six industry sectors in Minnesota is a positive sign “and the widening gap between the state’s and nation’s unemployment rates also is noteworthy.”
Those improving industries are professional and business services, up 5,500 jobs statewide (about half of them filled through temporary services employment; education and health services, up 3,700; leisure and hospitality, up 1,700; government, up 1,600, information, up 300; and financial activities, up 200.
“Employment growth in temporary help is a leading indicator of an economic recovery, and we are hoping this three-month trend continues,” McElroy said.
In the Duluth/Superior Metropolitan Statistical Area — which includes Carlton and St. Louis counties in Minnesota and Douglas County Wisconsin — the single bright spot was the education sector where employers reported a gain of 721 jobs during October.
During 2009, the Duluth/Superior SMA has been the state’s hardest hit by job losses by percentage, a decline of 4.1 percent, or a net loss of 5,500, according to the state agency.
Several of the state’s hardest-hit sectors underpin the Duluth/Superior area economy, including transportation and utilities, construction, leisure and hospitality, logging and mining.
Above is an article written by Wayne Newton..and he hit it right on the nose. In Northern Mn. the economy hit hard last year, yes before Obama came into office. I was working in the leisure business and when gas prices went over 4.00, our store was hit very hard and termination of employees were fast, I was one of them as I made more than other employees at the time and was working 50-60 hours a week. They gave me two days to train in someone to do my job, a regular cashier. That poor girl was calling me almost everyday because she was so confused on how to take care of things via the office and the main store at the same time....and when lottery came in, she had no ideal how to run it or pay for it. I only lived a couple minutes away, so without pay, I would go in at four am to help her out. My husband was the next to lose his job. It was in the construction field. His company was sold to another from down south, and then within a couple months they got rid of over 1000 employees with no notice in a weeks time. These were men who had been with the company for over 15 years even. All anyone got out of that was a severance pay paid in "paycheck time", not in one lump sum...quite a few of those families lost their homes, vehicles and had no where else to find jobs, so left the state like we did. My husband is able to still collect unemployment from MN...and he is now going into his third transcation with them, thank goodness the state kept going with the stimulus program...it just got spread out to a 13 week for those who need it. Northern MN. is not filled with big towns. They are mainly small towns with very few job openings, so when a person gets one, they stick with it. People don't get it, they don't want to get it...and then they wonder why others get so ticked off with them.
Say what you want about Obama, but without him passing this, a lot of us be living on the streets....
Another article related to MN. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/11/19/unemployment-insurance-fund/ |
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