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Minnesota employers added 6,400 jobs in September, lowering the state's unemployment rate to 3.7 percent.
The state has gained 41,259 jobs during the past year, an increase of 1.4 percent. U.S. job growth in the past 12 months was 1.2 percent, according to seasonally adjusted figures released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
The unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage points from the month before. Minnesota's rate remains well below the national 4.2 percent unemployment rate for the month.
"Minnesota's job expansion is now eight years strong, with the state adding more than 337,000 jobs since September 2009," DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy said. "During that period, the overall unemployment rate fell from 7.9 percent to the current low of 3.7 percent. Minnesota's economy is headed in the right direction."
WHO'S HIRING?
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Industries with the biggest growth in September include:
• Professional and business services, which added 3,600 workers.
• Education and health services, up 2,000 jobs.
• Government, up 1,700 jobs.
• Other services, an increase of 1,400 workers.
• Financial activities, up 700 jobs.
• Trade, transportation and utilities sector, up 600 jobs.
• Logging and mining, up 200 jobs.
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Manufacturing was unchanged.
WHO'S NOT?
Minnesota industries that lost jobs in September include:
• Information services, down 1,700 workers.
• Leisure and hospitality, down 1,700 jobs.
• Construction workforce, down 400 jobs.
In the metropolitan statistical areas, all regions gained jobs in the past 12 months: Minneapolis-St. Paul (up 2.1 percent), Duluth-Superior (up 1.3 percent), St. Cloud (up 1.3 percent), Mankato (up 1.2 percent) and Rochester (up 0.9 percent).
During the past year, 10 of the state's 11 industrial sectors have gained jobs, led by education and health services (up 15,511). Gains also were posted by construction (up 6,239), other services (up 4,246), trade, transportation and utilities (up 4,156), government (up 3,362), manufacturing (up 3,051), professional and business services (up 2,886), leisure and hospitality (up 2,104), logging and mining (up 619) and financial activities (up 425).
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Information (down 1,340) is the only major sector that lost jobs in the past 12 months.
