Economic Updates &
LMI Training Sessions

Minnesota’s regions each possess unique demographic and economic trends shaping their local labor markets. The Twin Cities Metro Area, home to over half the state’s population, remains a demographic hub, while Southeast examines poverty rates by demographic characteristics. Central Minnesota reflects on the sector-specific impacts of the Great Recession to understand economic resilience, and the Northeast blog underscores the importance of real-time unemployment insurance claims data for early economic insight. In Northwest and Southwest, the blogs explore how self-employment rebounded strongly post-pandemic, with both regions surpassing their pre-pandemic numbers of nonemployers. For more local information on any of these topics, please reach out to your Regional Analyst! 

Twin Cities Metro Blog

This month let's take a closer look at population numbers in the Metro Area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, the Seven-County Metro Area had a total population of 3,156,517 people in 2023. As such, the Metro Area accounts for over half (55.2%) of Minnesota's total population of 5,713,716 people.

Central Minnesota Blog

With current economic uncertainty, it is worth examining what happened during the Great Recession in Central Minnesota. Although each recession is unique both in the cause and impact, certain sectors were more prone to challenges during the Great Recession of 2007–2009, with significant job losses reshaping the economic landscape. However, amidst these declines, certain industries also demonstrated resilience and growth, offering valuable insights into the region's adaptability.

Northeast Minnesota Blog

During times of potentially rapid changes in our economy, waiting several months for an update on conditions begins to feel like an eternity. Early in the COVID shutdown, there was a critical need for real-time data, or as close to real-time as possible. One form this took in our Labor Market Information Office was monthly and weekly unemployment insurance claims. DEED, in addition to operating our state's unemployment insurance (UI) claim system, also produces a rich array of data that details trends by a several characteristics such as industry, occupation, age, gender, education, race, origin and type of claim. UI claims data are especially useful because they require a shorter turnaround than some of our other data sources and are one of our best leading indicators, often moving before the more commonly shared unemployment rate.

Northwest Minnesota Blog

As detailed in a recent article in Minnesota Economic Trends, census data shows that the number of self-employed workers in Northwest Minnesota surged by 5.5% from 2020 to 2022, a gain of more than 2,300 new nonemployer establishments. That was more than three times as many as the number of self-employed businesses lost during the Pandemic Recession, when Northwest dropped 754 nonemployers from 2019 to 2020. In 2022, there were now just over 44,600 nonemployer establishments in the 26-county region, which was just over 10% of the state total. 

Southwest Minnesota Blog

Similarly, nonemployer data shows that the number of self-employed workers in Southwest Minnesota jumped by nearly 6% from 2020 to 2022, a gain of more than 1,500 new nonemployer establishments. That was more than twice as many as the number of self-employed businesses that ceased during the Pandemic Recession, when Southwest lost 721 nonemployers from 2019 to 2020. In 2022, there were now just over 27,700 nonemployer establishments in the 23-county region, which was just over 6% of the state total.

Southeast Minnesota Blog

In 2023, approximately 45,000 residents of Southeast Minnesota lived below the poverty level, representing 9% of the region's population, slightly below the statewide rate of 9.2%. While this overall figure suggests relative economic stability for residents, it conceals the complex reality of poverty in the region. This blog examines how poverty rates vary significantly by county, race and ethnicity, sex, and educational attainment, and explores how housing cost burden, particularly among renters, compounds these economic challenges across Southeast Minnesota. 

LMI TRAINING SESSIONS

DEED's Regional Analysts have scheduled a set of Labor Market Information training sessions for the summer of 2025. These virtual training sessions and regional economic updates will help attendees learn where to find and how to use DEED’s labor market information data tools. Attendees will navigate data tools on our website (mn.gov/deed/data/) and learn how to use them to understand the local economy and provide guidance to jobseekers and others. Do you want to know:

• Which are the most in-demand jobs in your part of Minnesota?
• How is my regional economy performing?
• A clearer picture of population and labor force demographics in your area?

Please reach out to your regional analyst if you or your staff would be interested in having a customized LMI training session. We would be happy to accommodate your training requests, either on LMI Data Tools or local economic conditions!

Each month, DEED's Regional Analysis & Outreach unit produces a series of blogs exploring local labor market information. Please contact your regional analyst for more information.