Minnesota Loses 1,900 Jobs in July as Labor Force Shrinks by 4,000
Updated
Updated · WDIO · Aug 20
Minnesota Loses 1,900 Jobs in July as Labor Force Shrinks by 4,000
2 articles · Updated · WDIO · Aug 20
Summary
Minnesota shed 1,900 jobs in July and its labor force fell by about 4,000, even as the state unemployment rate dipped to 4.3% from June.
The decline extended a broader weakening in worker participation: Minnesota’s labor force participation rate fell for an eighth straight month to 66.9%, while DEED said wage growth also continues to soften.
Construction lost 1,000 jobs in July, and government payrolls also fell — including 800 state jobs and 400 local government jobs — despite stronger annual gains in both sectors.
Over 12 months, employers still added more than 44,000 jobs, a 1.5% growth rate that DEED said outpaced the national average by 1.3%, underscoring a split between monthly weakness and yearly resilience.
State officials pointed to tariffs and the conflict with Iran as headwinds that have raised trade uncertainty and energy costs, with the next Minnesota employment report due Sept. 17.