Minnesota Sees Job Gains, Strong Wage Growth in September

(KNSI) – Officials with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development are hailing wage gains for workers statewide.

In September, average hourly earnings hit $38/hour. That represents a 4.9% growth rate, well above inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. Labor Market Information Director Angelina Nguyen says, “This is critical for our efforts to attract workers to Minnesota and address the ongoing workforce shortage from a variety of angles.”

Minnesota payrolls have ballooned by 37,566 positions over the past year, a growth rate of 1.3%. That was bolstered by 6,300 new jobs in September. Both figures are tallied using a seasonal adjustment.

Government, professional and business services, and education and health services were the fastest growing sectors. Financial activities, information technology, and manufacturing all shed jobs.

The non-seasonally adjusted data shows that the Twin Cities area and Duluth-Superior have seen an overall employment drop compared to a year ago. St. Cloud is nearly even with Mankato and East Grand Forks. All three areas have registered hiring between 900 and 1,000 positions. Rochester is the best-performing metro, with 7,859 jobs gained, equal to a huge 6.3% rise.

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