ST. PAUL – Minnesota employers added 3,800 jobs in February, according to seasonally adjusted figures announced today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
In addition, the agency said January’s job losses were revised from 8,300 jobs lost to 3,900 jobs lost. Over the past year, the state has gained 39,564 jobs, a growth rate of 1.4%. U.S. job growth during that period was 1.7%.
Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was steady in February at 4%, the seventh consecutive month at that level. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.7% in February.
“The February report is another sign that Minnesota’s economy is moving in the right direction,” said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “Businesses are adding jobs and people are finding work in growing industries like construction and education and health services.”
Trade, transportation and utilities led all sectors last month with 5,700 new jobs. Other sectors gaining jobs were construction (up 4,500), manufacturing (up 1,100), education and health services (up 800), other services (up 800) and logging and mining (up 100).
The following industries lost jobs: professional and business services (down 3,100), leisure and hospitality (down 2,800), government (down 2,400), information (down 700) and financial activities (down 200).
Over the past year, education and health services gained 16,534 jobs, followed by trade, transportation and utilities (up 8,706), construction (up 6,101), government (up 3,711), financial activities (up 3,465), other services (up 3,346) and logging and mining (up 886).
Four sectors lost jobs in the past 12 months: leisure and hospitality (down 1,966), manufacturing (down 748), professional and business services (down 286) and information (down 185).
In the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the following regions gained jobs in the past 12 months: Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (up 1.6%), Rochester MSA (up 0.8%), St. Cloud MSA (up 1.5%) and Duluth-Superior MSA (up 0.3%). The Mankato MSA lost jobs (down 0.2%).
DEED has added a section to its website that examines the unemployment rate by demographics (race, age and gender) and looks at alternative measures of unemployment.
DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and its services, visit http://mn.gov/deed/ or follow DEED on Twitter.