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Mill Lay-offs Contribute to Jobless Spike

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Jul 26, 2012 at 8:42 am

ST. CLOUD, MN (KNSI) - The unemployment rate in the St. Cloud area rose in June, likely due in part to employees laid off from the fire-damaged Verso paper mill in Sartell.

The jobless rate in the St. Cloud metropolitan area last month was five-point-seven percent. That's an increase of six-tenths of a percent from May.

Verso spokesman Bill Cohen says no decision has been made yet on whether to make repairs to the mill and re-open it. Verso will have a quarterly earnings report for investors on August 9th, and the future of the mill could still be in doubt at that time.

Verso had about 250 employees in Sartell, but most have been laid off in the wake of that Memorial Day explosion and fire that killed one worker and injured four others.