The presence of such industry powerhouses as Polaris, Arctic Cat and New Flyer make Northwest Minnesota a hub of transportation equipment manufacturing.
From wheat and potatoes to soybeans and sugar beets, the region is a major producer and processor of food staples and specialty agricultural products.
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11/8/2021 9:00:00 AM
Cameron Macht
In appreciation of those who have served in our nation's military, past and present, and their families, this month's Local Look blog post focuses on veterans in the region and the available resources to assist them in gaining successful employment. According to the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA), there are just under 42,000 veterans in the 26-county Northwest Minnesota region, or 13% of the 321,810 veterans in the state. This means the region has a higher concentration of veterans, since the region has only 10% of the total population.
The majority of veterans in the region and the state are 65 years and older, serving during past conflicts, with the largest number serving during Vietnam. As such, only 12,185 veterans in the region are between the ages of 18 and 64 and assumed to be actively participating in the labor force (Table 1).
| Veterans | Total Population | Percent Veterans | Veterans, 18 to 64, in the Labor Force | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Becker Co. | 2,852 | 35,183 | 8.1% | 772 |
| Beltrami Co. | 3,050 | 46,228 | 6.6% | 1,027 |
| Cass Co. | 2,916 | 30,066 | 9.7% | 720 |
| Clay Co. | 3,552 | 65,318 | 5.4% | 1,236 |
| Clearwater Co. | 724 | 8,524 | 8.5% | 227 |
| Crow Wing Co. | 5,478 | 66,123 | 8.3% | 1,465 |
| Douglas Co. | 2,812 | 39,006 | 7.2% | 807 |
| Grant Co. | 429 | 6,074 | 7.1% | 106 |
| Hubbard Co. | 1,927 | 21,344 | 9.0% | 658 |
| Kittson Co. | 312 | 4,207 | 7.4% | 61 |
| Lake of the Woods Co. | 305 | 3,763 | 8.1% | 89 |
| Mahnomen Co. | 309 | 5,411 | 5.7% | 88 |
| Marshall Co. | 568 | 9,040 | 6.3% | 181 |
| Morrison Co. | 2,629 | 34,010 | 7.7% | 846 |
| Norman Co. | 441 | 6,441 | 6.8% | 120 |
| Otter Tail Co. | 4,440 | 60,081 | 7.4% | 1,058 |
| Pennington Co. | 936 | 13,992 | 6.7% | 429 |
| Polk Co. | 1,985 | 31,192 | 6.4% | 595 |
| Pope Co. | 879 | 11,308 | 7.8% | 213 |
| Red Lake Co. | 252 | 3,935 | 6.4% | 88 |
| Roseau Co. | 1,002 | 15,331 | 6.5% | 438 |
| Stevens Co. | 493 | 9,671 | 5.1% | 84 |
| Todd Co. | 1,996 | 25,262 | 7.9% | 524 |
| Traverse Co. | 259 | 3,360 | 7.7% | 77 |
| Wadena Co. | 1,093 | 14,065 | 7.8% | 176 |
| Wilkin Co. | 354 | 6,506 | 5.4% | 100 |
| Northwest Minnesota | 41,993 | 575,441 | 7.3% | 12,185 |
| Minnesota | 321,810 | 5,706,494 | 5.6% | 109,835 |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota Dept. of Veterans Affairs | ||||
Prior to the pandemic, veterans had a slightly higher unemployment rate than non-veterans in the region. Unfortunately, new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals the impact the COVID-19 recession had upon veterans in the labor market overall. In Minnesota, the unemployment rate for veterans rose from 4.9% in 2019 to 8.3% in 2020. That would equate to just over 1,000 unemployed veterans in the region last year.
More specifically, the regional unemployment rate for veterans who served on active duty at any time since September 2001 was even higher at 7.3%, and the rate for the youngest veterans (18 to 24 years) was significantly higher at 14.6%. Unemployment rates also increased for both male and female veterans in 2020, with the male rate at 6.5% and the female rate at 6.7%. That was nearly double the rates reported by veterans of each gender in 2019.
The good news is that new Job Vacancy Survey data reveals that employers in Northwest Minnesota posted more than 17,750 openings in the second quarter of 2021, the highest number ever reported. While the explosion of job vacancies in the region is good for all job seekers, of particular note for veterans is that there are nearly 2,000 postings in Manufacturing, 540 vacancies in Government/Public Administration, and nearly 300 openings in Transportation & Warehousing, which are the three industries where veterans are much more likely to work than non-veterans (see Figure 1).
If you are a veteran and seeking employment in any industry, not just the big three highlighted in the chart, the following steps can help:
Contact Cameron Macht at 320-441-6596.
