by Nick Dobbins
August 2022
Employment in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MSA was mostly flat in July as the region added 727 jobs (0.0%) in a month that historically usually sees small employment declines. Leisure and Hospitality added 8,233 jobs (4.6%), the largest real and proportional monthly job gain. Professional and Business Services added 4,700 jobs (1.4%), with growth in all three component sectors, and Manufacturing added 3,481 jobs (1.7%). Four supersectors lost jobs in July, with the steepest declines coming in Government employment, which was down 13,512 or 5.6%. Local Government Educational Services drove the decline with employment down 15,793 (4.5%) as school staffing levels declined entering the summer.
Over the year the metro area added 63,189 jobs or 3.2%. Eight of 10 supersectors posted positive growth. Leisure and Hospitality led the way, up 18,782 (11.1%). Professional and Business Services added 17,253 jobs (5.3%), and Manufacturing added 13,638 jobs (6.9%). Durable Goods employment was up 10,929 (8%), and Non-Durable Goods was up 2,709 (4.3%). Trade, Transportation, and Utilities lost 1,397 jobs (0.4%) with declines coming entirely in Retail Trade (down 1,844 jobs or 1%). Government employment was down by 298 (0.1%) with Local Government Educational Services again driving the decline (off by 3,286 or 4.5%).
The Duluth-Superior MSA lost 749 jobs (0.6%) over the month) in July. Declines were driven by Government employment, which was off by 1,697 (7.1%) with losses at the Local and State levels (down 1,211 or 7.9% and 500 or 7%, respectively). Mining, Logging, and Construction posted the largest proportional growth of any supersector, up 2.6% (296 jobs), and the largest real job growth came in Leisure and Hospitality, which was up 329 jobs (2.2%).
Over the year the Duluth area added 4,154 jobs or 3.2%, the second largest proportional growth of any MSA in the state, trailing only Mankato-North Mankato. Mining. Logging and Construction was up 1,541 jobs or 15.2%., the largest real and proportional growth of any supersector by a large margin. Other Services employment was up 5.2% (299 jobs). Three supersectors lost jobs on the year. Information was down 83 jobs (7.5%), Financial Activities was down 121 (2.3%), and Government was down 21 (0.1%).
The Rochester MSA added 899 jobs (0.7%) over the month in July, the best proportional growth of any MSA in the state. Seven of 10 published supersectors posted positive growth, with Trade, Transportation, and Utilities adding 273 jobs (1.6%) on the strength of 299 additional jobs (2.5%) in Retail Trade and Leisure and 253 jobs (2.2%) in Hospitality. The largest proportional decline was in Other Services, which was down 1.6% (66 jobs). Government employers lost 133 jobs (1%) with declines at the State and Local levels.
Over the year the Rochester area added 3,283 jobs (2.6%). Leisure and Hospitality added 889 jobs (8.1%), the largest proportional growth of any supersector. Educational and Health Services added 876 jobs (1.6%), and Professional and Business Services added 431 jobs (6.5%).
The St. Cloud MSA lost 431 jobs (0.4%) over the month in July. Government employment drove the decline, down by 1,117 jobs (7.8%) with the losses coming primarily in Local Government (down 1,011 or 11.2%). Mining, Logging, and Construction added 221 jobs (2.5%), and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 192 jobs (0.9%).
On an annual basis employment in St. Cloud was up by 3,040 (2.9%). Leisure and Hospitality employment was up 1,081 (5.4%), Mining, Logging, and Construction added 653 jobs (7.8%), and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 649 jobs (3%), with most of that growth coming in Retail Trade (up 611 or 4.7%). Financial Activities lost 157 jobs or 2.9%, the largest real and proportional declines of any supersector in the area.
The Mankato-North Mankato MSA lost 340 jobs (0.6%) in July. Private sector employers added 164 jobs (0.3%), but their public sector counterparts lost 504 jobs (5%). Both goods producers and service providers lost jobs on the month.
Over the year the Mankato-North Mankato area added 3,360 jobs (6.3%), which was the best over-the-year growth of any MSA in the state. Goods producers added 723 jobs (7.1%), and service providers added 2,637 jobs (6.1%).
The Fargo-Moorhead MSA lost 1,393 jobs or 1% in July. It was the second-worst over-the-month growth of any MSA in the state, trailing only Grand Forks-East Grand Forks. Government employment drove the decline, losing 1,864 jobs or 10%. The largest real and proportional growth came in Mining, Logging, and Construction, which added 266 jobs (2.7%).
Over the year, the Fargo-Moorhead MSA added 3,856 jobs (2.7%). Government employment was up 1,314 (8.5%) and Education and Health Services was up 1,282 (4.7%). Financial Activities had the largest real and proportional job losses, with employment off by 740, or 6.2%.
The Grand Forks-East Grand Forks MSA lost 1,025 jobs or 1.9% in July. It was the worst monthly job performance of any MSA in Minnesota. Government employers lost 924 jobs (7.4%) with Local Government losing 731 jobs (11.8%). Educational and Health Services added the most jobs at 33 (0.4%).
On an annual basis the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks MSA added 1,446 jobs (2.9%). Leisure and Hospitality added 426 jobs (8%), Government added 330 (3%), and Professional and Business Services added 301 (8.1%). Two supersectors posted negative growth, with Professional and Business Services off by 68 (4%) and Mining, Logging, and Construction off 45 (1.3%).
