Home to the state's second-largest metro, the Northeast Region has a strong industrial sector, tied largely to the area's abundant natural resources.
Most of the manufacturing base centers on mining and forest products industries. More than half of the sector's employment is in paper and machinery manufacturing.
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11/8/2022 9:00:00 AM
Carson Gorecki
Minnesota's veterans, after serving our country in the military, often continue to do so as part of the state's labor force. In 2021, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs reported that 312,843 veterans called Minnesota home. Of Minnesota's veterans, more than 8% reside in Northeast Minnesota, a larger share than the 5.7% of the total population living in the seven-county area.
| Table 1. Northeast Minnesota Veterans by County, 2020-2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | Number of Veterans | Share of 18+ Population | Percent of Veterans Aged 18-64 in Labor Force |
| Minnesota | 312,843 | 6.8% | 3.9% |
| Northeast Minnesota | 25,966 | 9.0% | 5.2% |
| Aitkin County | 1,556 | 12.0% | 6.0% |
| Carlton County | 2,676 | 9.3% | 5.7% |
| Cook County | 399 | 6.9% | 3.5% |
| Itasca County | 3,810 | 10.5% | 5.6% |
| Koochiching County | 974 | 10.0% | 6.0% |
| Lake County | 937 | 8.4% | 3.2% |
| St. Louis County | 15,614 | 8.4% | 5.1% |
| Source: 2021 MN Dept. of Veterans Affairs, US Census American Community Survey, 2016-2020 5-yr Estimates | |||
In sum, 9% of Northeast Minnesota's population aged 18 years and older are veterans. Aitkin County had the highest share of veterans at 12%, followed by Itasca and Koochiching counties which were both above 10% (Table 1). The higher share of veterans in the population also translates to a higher incidence of veterans participating in the workforce. At 4.7%, Northeast Minnesota has the highest proportion of veterans in its labor force among the six planning regions in the state.
| Table 2. Employment Characteristics, 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Force | Northeast Minnesota | Minnesota | |||
| In Labor Force | Labor Force Partic. Rate | Unemp. Rate | Labor Force Partic. Rate | Unemp. Rate | |
| Total Labor Force, 18 to 64 years | 149,232 | 77.2% | 4.8% | 83.4% | 3.8% |
| Veterans, 18 to 64 years | 7,062 | 72.2% | 6.7% | 80.9% | 3.9% |
| Nonveterans, 18 to 64 years | 142,170 | 77.5% | 4.7% | 83.5% | 3.7% |
| Source: U.S. Census American Community Survey, 2016-2020 5-Year Estimates | |||||
Just over 7,000 veterans were in the regional labor force as of 2020. With a labor force participation rate of 72.2%, veterans were less likely than non-veterans (77.5%) to be members of the labor force. Northeast Minnesota veterans were more likely to be unemployed than non-veterans and the statewide veteran labor force participation rate was more than 8.5 percentage points higher (Table 2).
What industries and occupations are veterans most likely to work in? The Bureau of Labor Statistics in its annual Employment Situation of Veterans shows that veterans more commonly work in the Manufacturing, Government, Transportation & Utilities, and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction sectors. Those four sectors account for 21.1% of Northeast Minnesota jobs and include the two highest paying (Mining and Utilities).
The sectors that veterans are least likely to be employed in, according to the BLS, are Education & Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality, Retail Trade, and Financial Activities. Combined, these four sectors account for 60.2% of regional jobs, yet also include three of the four lowest paying industries (Arts, Entertainment & Recreation, Accommodation & Food Services, and Retail Trade). The lower incidence of veterans employed in these sectors and industries likely reflects the types of skills and training acquired via military service.
For those veterans that recently left active service and are transitioning to civilian life, there are tools such as O*NET's My Next Move for Veterans. My Next Move allows career explorers to search and compare hundreds of occupations. Users can enter their military classification to see what related careers exist outside of the armed services and might be a good skills match.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has a team dedicated to serving Minnesotan veterans and their needs. Check out the CareerForce Veterans Employment Services page to find your regional contact and how they might help you or a veteran you know. DEED also assists employers hiring veterans.
Whether you or someone you know is a veteran there are many resources in the Northeast region to help wherever you or they are in their career journey:
Contact Northeast Minnesota Labor Market Analyst Carson Gorecki at 218-302-8413.
