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September 2019 - Minnesota Economic Trends

In this issue’s cover story we release the complete results and narrative from the third round of the Hiring Difficulties Survey.

One goal of the survey is to identify if skilled manufacturing jobs are difficult to fill because of a skills gap or demand-side reasons. From what we’re seeing, employers will have to provide on-the-job training and sustain their partnerships with local schools and education providers to bridge skills gaps, especially for highly-technical positions that require company-specific skills and knowledge.

We have a severe workforce shortage, well documented by the Labor Market Information Office. The fast-changing global economy requires that we ask ourselves if we're ready for what's next.

Download the full pdf file or select the links below to view individual stories.

Letter From the Editor

In Minnesota, we have much to be optimistic about, yet no one would say that the growth of our economy is inevitable. Now, more than ever, we are focused on the future of Minnesota’s workforce – as is this issue of Trends.

Hiring Difficulties in Manufacturing

Hiring Difficulties in Manufacturing summarizes detailed employer interviews on hiring skilled production, repair and engineering technician occupations in manufacturing. What are the most difficult to fill?

Connecting Students and Educators to Labor Market Information

The new Career Pathways Tool provides a bridge to the Career Wheel to help schools and students make decisions that align with the economy.

Minnesota’s Record Expansion

The similarities and differences between the current economic expansion and previous ones. In July 2019, the current expansion, which started in June 2009, moved passed the 1991-2001 expansion as the longest of the 11 post-World War II expansions.

Diffusion to Clear Up Confusion

Here’s how diffusion indexes measure the dispersion of employment change across industries – and what it means for the economy.

Snapshot: Minnesota's Construction Industry

A snapshot of the state’s construction industry so far this year. The general outlook for the industry is positive, but like manufacturing, construction needs to find strategies to diversify its workforce.

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