Minnesota’s 12-Month Change in Unemployment Rate is 5th Worst in US

The state of Minnesota underperformed both the Midwest region and the United States as a whole in the unemployment metric in the last twelve months, according to a new report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday.

From August of 2015 to August 2016, Minnesota’s unemployment rate jumped half a percentage point. This is tied for the fifth worst mark in the nation, behind only Wyoming, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. The Midwest as a whole saw a 0.1 percent increase in the unemployment rate over that same period. The United States’ rate saw no measurable change over the course of the past year. Iowa was Minnesota’s only neighboring state that fared worse, and Wisconsin and South Dakota actually saw their unemployment rates drop 0.2 percent each.

In this time frame, more than 13,000 additional people are counted amongst the unemployed in Minnesota. The overall labor force meanwhile, has shrunk by almost 9,000 workers across the same time frame.

Overall Minnesota remains the 13th best in the United States at 3.8 percent. South Dakota and North Dakota are significant lower at 2.7 and 2.8 percent respectively, while Wisconsin is at 4 percent and Iowa is at 4.2 percent.

Similarly from July to August of 2016, Minnesota’s unemployment rate experienced a 0.1 percent increase. It was one of only 13 states in the nation to have an increase over that time period, and was tied for seventh worst. The Midwest as a whole saw no change in its overall unemployment percentage. The United States all together also saw no significant change in the unemployment rate over the past month.

Meanwhile, over the past month, neighboring Wisconsin saw their rate drop by 0.2 percent, and North Dakota saw no change. However Iowa’s change was equal to Minnesota’s, while South Dakota’s 0.2 percent increase in unemployment rate saw it place in a tie for the second worst performance in the past month.

From July to August, Minnesota saw about 29,000 people drop out of the workforce entirely, but only 400 less people are counted amongst the unemployed.

Anders Koskinen