Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Legislative News and Views - Rep. David Bly (DFL)

Back to profile

Minnesota Employers Add 12,200 Jobs in August

Friday, September 20, 2013

ST. PAUL, MN – Yesterday, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced that Minnesota employers added 12,200 jobs during the month of August.

The agency said Minnesota has now recovered all the jobs that were lost in the recession, eclipsing the peak reached in February 2008 by 5,100 jobs. Over the past year, Minnesota has added 63,100 jobs, a 2.3 percent growth rate that exceeds the national rate of 1.7 percent.

Minnesota’s unemployment rate dropped to a seasonally adjusted 5.1 percent, the lowest level since April 2008 and well below the national rate of 7.3 percent.

Rep. David Bly (DFL—Northfield) said the job gains are a vital part of building the kind of thriving middle class needed to create economic growth.  

“I’m pleased that thousands of Minnesotans now have jobs that will provide them with the economic security they need and deserve,” said Rep. Bly. “When employers hire workers, it means more Minnesotans have an income to pay the monthly mortgage payment and purchase goods and services from local businesses. Growing our middle class is a good recipe for a strong economy.”

Rep. Bly added that while the job gains are good news, more must be done to put Minnesotans back to work.

“We have more work to do when it comes to job creation,” said Rep. Bly. “One of my top priorities in 2014 is to help pass a bipartisan bonding bill that funds repairs and improvements to our roads, bridges, and schools. Those kinds of shovel-ready projects put people to work and create an infrastructure that is built to last over the long haul.”

Another 2014 legislative session priority Rep. Bly cited as vital to economic growth is an increase in the state’s minimum wage.

“Minnesota’s minimum wage hasn’t been raised since 2005,” said Rep. Bly. “The cost of goods like gas and groceries has increased, but wages have remained flat. We need to make sure our workforce can make the kind of living that allows them to support themselves and their families. It’s another tool we can use to grow the middle class.”

The following industrial sectors gained jobs last month: trade, transportation and utilities (up 6,000), education and health care (up 5,500), other services (up 2,300), government (up 1,900), construction (up 1,100), leisure and hospitality (up 700), and financial activities (up 100). Logging and mining held steady.

Manufacturing lost 3,400 jobs, followed by professional and business services (down 1,100) and information (down 900).

Trade, transportation and utilities led all sectors over the past year, adding 18,300 jobs. Other over-the-year gains occurred in education and health services (up 13,100), professional and business services (up 10,200), leisure and hospitality (up 9,400), government (up 9,000), other services (up 2,800), construction (up 2,700), financial activities (up 1,900), information (up 400), and logging and mining (up 400).

The only sector to lose jobs over the past year was manufacturing (down 5,100).

In the state Metropolitan Statistical Areas, job growth occurred in the past 12 months in the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (up 3.2 percent), St. Cloud MSA (up 2.2 percent), Mankato MSA (up 1.5 percent) and the Rochester MSA (up 0.1 percent). The Duluth-Superior MSA fell 0.1 percent.

 

 

Seasonally adjusted

Not seasonally adjusted

Unemployment Rate

 August
2013

July
2013

August
2013

August
2012

Minnesota 

5.1

5.2

4.8

5.6

U.S. 

7.3

7.4

7.3

8.2

Employment

 August
2013

July 
2013

 Aug. '12 - 
Aug. '13 
Level Change

 Aug. '12 - 
Aug. '13
% Change

Minnesota  

2,786,000

2,773,800

63,100

2.3

U.S. 

136,133,000

135,964,000

2,208,000

1.7

 

Over The Year Employment Growth By Industry Sector (NSA)

 

OTY Job Change

OTY 
Growth Rate (%)

U.S. OTY 
Growth Rate (%)

Total Non-Farm Employment

63,100

2.3

1.7

Logging and Mining

400

5.0

3.0

Construction

2,700

2.5

2.8

Manufacturing

-5,100

-1.6

0.1

Trade, Trans. and Utilities

18,300

3.6

2.0

Information

400

0.8

-0.3

Financial Activities

1,900

1.1

1.4

Prof. and Bus. Services

10,200

3.0

3.4

Ed. and Health Services

13,100

2.8

1.9

Leisure and Hospitality

9,400

3.6

3.0

Other Services

2,800

2.4

0.8

Government

9,000

2.4

-0.4

 

Metropolitan Statistical Area

 OTY Employment Change 
(#, NSA)

 OTY Employment Change 
(%, NSA)

Minneapolis-St. Paul 
MN-WI MSA

56,900

3.2

Duluth-Superior 
MN-WI MSA

-200

-0.1

Rochester MSA

100

0.1

St. Cloud MSA

2,300

2.2

Mankato MSA

800

1.5


Rep. Bly encourages his constituents to contact him with any questions or feedback about the House DFL’s job creation package. He can be reached by phone at (651) 296-0171, by email at rep.david.bly@house.mn, or by postal mail at 559 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.