by Nick Dobbins
October 2023
Monthly analysis is based on seasonally adjusted employment data.
Yearly analysis is based on unadjusted employment data.
Minnesota employment was up by 8,000 (0.3%) over the month in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. The state has added 12,200 jobs over the past two months after losing 3,300 in June and July. Goods producers added 700 jobs (0.1%), and service providers added 7,300 (0.3%).
Over the year employers in the state added 49,809 jobs or 1.7%. Goods producers added 5,744 jobs (1.2%), and service providers added 44,065 (1.8%). Private sector employment was up by 38,146 (1.5%), and the public sector added 11,663 jobs (2.9%).
Employment in Mining and Logging was off by 100 jobs (1.6%) over the month of September on an unadjusted basis. It was the first time employment in the supersector dropped below 6,400 since November of 2022.
Over the year employment in Mining and Logging was up by 143 or 2.2%. This was down from annual growth of 3.6% in August.
Construction employers in Minnesota added 200 jobs (0.1%) over the month in September. It was the sixth consecutive month of positive seasonally adjusted growth in the supersector.
On an annual basis employment in Construction was up by 5.1% or 7,322 jobs. It was the largest proportional annual growth of any supersector in the state, and the first time that Leisure and Hospitality did not hold that distinction since the early days of the COVID recovery. Growth was driven by Specialty Trade Contractors (up 5,284 jobs or 5.8%) and Heavy and Civil Engineering (up 1,871 jobs%). Every published industry component added jobs on the year.
Employment in Manufacturing was up by 600 (0.2%) in September. The growth came entirely in Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing (up 600 jobs or 0.2%) as employment in Durable Goods Manufacturing was flat, holding at 207,700.
Over the year Manufacturing employers lost 1,721 jobs or 0.5%. It was one of only three supersectors to lose jobs on the year. Both major components posted negative growth, with Non-Durable Goods off by 1,306 jobs (1.1%) in large part from the loss of 1,305 jobs (2.7%) in Food Manufacturing.
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities employment was up by 1,900 (0.4%) over the month in September. Retail Trade added 1,600 jobs (0.6%), Wholesale Trade added 300 jobs (0.2%), and Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities employment was flat.
On an annual basis the supersector added 11,767 jobs or 2.3%, outpacing the national growth of 0.5%. The loss of 1,666 jobs (1.3%) in Wholesale Trade was offset by the addition of 6,129 jobs (2.2%) in Retail Trade and 7,304 jobs (6.4%) in Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities.
Employment in Information was up by 200 (0.4%) in September, after two consecutive months of seasonally adjusted monthly losses in the supersector.
Over the year Information employers added 239 jobs (0.5%), despite the fact that both published component industries (Publishing and Telecommunications) lost jobs on the year. Employment in the supersector seems to have stabilized somewhat recent years, following several years of regular contraction after reaching a high of 71,500 jobs in 2001.
Employment in Financial Activities was off by 600 (0.3%) over the month in September. Both component sectors lost 300 jobs, with Finance and Insurance down by 0.2% and Real Estate and Rental and Leasing down 0.9%.
Over the year employment in the supersector was down by 4,110 or 2.1%, one of only three supersectors to lose jobs annually. Finance and Insurance employment was off by 4,110 (2.1%), and Real Estate and Rental and Leasing was off by 573 (1.6%).
Professional and Business Services employment was down by 3,600 or 0.9% over the month. It was the largest real job loss of any supersector in the state. All three component sectors lost jobs. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services lost 1,600 jobs (1%). Management of Companies lost 700 jobs (0.8%), and Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services lost 1,300 jobs (1%).
Over the year the supersector lost 9,512 jobs or 2.4%. It was the largest real and proportional job loss for any supersector in the state. Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services lost 4,725 jobs (3.4%) largely from the loss of 4,564 jobs (7.2%) in its Employment Services component sector.
Employment in Educational and Health Services was up by 6,000 (1.1%) over the month in September. Educational Services added 1,500 jobs (2.2%), and Health Care and Social Assistance added 4,500 jobs (0.9%). The supersector has not posted a month of negative seasonally adjusted growth since June of 2022.
On an annual basis Educational and Health Services employers added 22,941 jobs or 4.2%, the second-highest proportional growth of any supersector in the state. Annual growth came entirely from Health Care and Social Assistance (up 23,403 jobs or 4.9%) as the Educational Services sector lost 462 jobs (0.6%) on the year.
Leisure and Hospitality employment was up by 2,400 (0.9%) in September. Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation added 2,000 jobs (4%) while the larger Accommodation and Food Services sector added 400 jobs (0.2%).
Over the year Leisure and Hospitality employers added 10,949 jobs or 4.1%. It was the first month since early 2021 that the supersector did not post the largest proportional annual growth in the state, perhaps signaling that post-pandemic recovery growth has leveled off in the supersector. Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation employers added 5,829 jobs (12.3%) and Accommodation and Food Services employers added 5,120 jobs (2.4%).
Employment in Other Services was off by 800 (0.7%) over the month of September. It was the first monthly decline in the supersector since March.
On an annual basis the supersector added 128 jobs or 0.1%. The loss of 1,410 jobs (6.2%) in Repair and Maintenance was offset by gains of 756 jobs (2.9%) and 782 jobs (1.3%) in Personal and Laundry Services and Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, and Professional Organizations, respectively.
Government employers added 1,800 jobs (0.4%) in September. The growth came primarily at the Local Government level, which added 1,700 jobs (0.6%). Federal employers added 100 jobs (0.3%), and State Government employment growth was flat.
Over the year employment in Government was up 11,663 or 2.9%, slightly outpacing the national growth of 2.8%. All three levels of government added jobs, with Federal up 1,290 (4.1%), State up 798 (0.8%), and Local up 9,575 jobs (3.5%).
| Minnesota Seasonally Adjusted Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (In Thousands) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Sep-23 | Aug-23 | Jul-23 |
| Total Nonfarm | 2994.8 | 2986.8 | 2982.6 |
| Goods-Producing | 468.9 | 468.2 | 466.5 |
| Mining and Logging | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| Construction | 139.3 | 139.1 | 138 |
| Manufacturing | 323.3 | 322.7 | 322.1 |
| Service-Providing | 2525.9 | 2518.6 | 2516.1 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 535.8 | 533.9 | 534.7 |
| Information | 45.7 | 45.5 | 45.8 |
| Financial Activities | 187.9 | 188.5 | 189.3 |
| Professional and Business Services | 381.2 | 384.8 | 386.8 |
| Educational and Health Services | 575.3 | 569.3 | 566.1 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 270.2 | 267.8 | 265.8 |
| Other Services | 108 | 108.8 | 108.7 |
| Government | 421.8 | 420 | 418.9 |
| Source: Department of Employment and Economic Development, Current Employment Statistics, 2023. | |||
