Minn. jobless rate remains at 5.2 pct. in July
Minn. jobless rate stays steady in July; state says nearly all jobs lost in recession restored
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota's unemployment rate was unchanged in July as state employers added 4,300 jobs.
The Department of Employment and Economic Development said Thursday that the state's jobless rate in July was 5.2 percent, the same as it was in June. That's well below the national unemployment rate of 7.4 percent in July.
Minnesota is getting close to restoring all the jobs lost during the recession. Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben says an additional 5,500 jobs will get the state to that point.
"On an annual basis, the Minnesota labor market is recovering at a pace we haven't seen since the expansion of the 1990s," Clark Sieben said.
The government sector added the most jobs in July, with 4,000. Other sectors to see gains were financial activities, leisure and hospitality, information, and professional and business services. The most job losses occurred in education and health care, construction, manufacturing, and trade, transportation and utilities.
The state's five main metropolitan areas all saw job growth in the last year, with the greatest levels in the Twin Cities. The St. Cloud, Mankato, Rochester and Duluth areas all saw gains as too.
