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Local Look Regional Data
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Happy New Year!

As we head into the new year, our regional blogs highlight a Minnesota labor market that is both evolving and resilient - from mixed views on AI’s role in the job search and seasonal retail hiring in the Twin Cities, to strong demand in healthcare, a diversifying workforce in Northwest Minnesota, and encouraging signs of continued labor force entry across Greater Minnesota. We wish you a Happy New Year, filled with fresh insights, new opportunities, and plenty of new data to explore! For more information, please reach out to your ""*regional analyst. [ [link removed] ]*""

Central Minnesota Blog [ [link removed] ]

Is artificial intelligence already reshaping the job search – or is it mostly background noise? When we asked job counselors [ [link removed] ] whether AI has impacted their clients’ job search or employment experiences, the most common response wasn’t yes or no – it was unsure. Nearly half (45%) said they weren’t certain whether AI has made a difference at all. Another 33% said yes, while 21% said no. The perception mirrors what job counselors said across Minnesota [ [link removed] ].

Twin Cities Metro Blog [ [link removed] ]

With December comes holiday hiring across the Retail Trade industry sector. In the Twin Cities Metro Area, there were 8,160 establishments in Retail Trade supplying just over 152,000 covered jobs [ [link removed] ]. As such, Retail Trade is the region's third largest-employing industry sector, accounting for nearly one-in-ten jobs. Broken down by specific sectors, General Merchandise Retailers accounts for nearly one-quarter of the region's total Retail Trade employment, with just over 35,100 jobs.

Northeast Minnesota Blog [ [link removed] ]

I had my semiannual dental visit earlier this month and after talking with my Dental Hygienist and Dentist, it got me to thinking about the dental workforce in our region. Their professional experience and observations align with the data that show that many occupations in the dental field continue to be in high demand. In 2025, there were an estimated 100 General Practitioner Dentists [ [link removed] ] working in Northeast Minnesota along with 290 Dental Hygienists [ [link removed] ] and 330 Dental Assistants [ [link removed] ]. Wages for all three primary dental roles exceeded the regional median wage.

Northwest Minnesota Blog [ [link removed] ]

The story of Northwest Minnesota's employment recovery isn't just about numbers surpassing pre-pandemic levels – it's about who is doing the work. New data reveals a fundamental shift: the region's workforce is becoming dramatically more racially diverse, with communities of color now driving all net employment growth while the White workforce contracts. This transformation, accelerated by the pandemic, has profound implications for workforce development, recruitment strategies, and regional economic planning.

Southeast Minnesota Blog [ [link removed] ]

Every year, Minnesota collects detailed wage and employment information for approximately 800 occupations through the Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey [ [link removed] ]. This data helps job seekers understand earning potential, assists employers in setting competitive wages, and guides workforce development decisions.

Southwest Minnesota Blog [ [link removed] ]

Though the region's unemployment rate [ [link removed] ] has been ticking upward over the past year, the number of initial and continuing claims for Unemployment Insurance [ [link removed] ] being filed by workers in Southwest Minnesota has been trending downward and remains near historic lows. The good news is that means that new workers are entering the workforce and looking for jobs at employers in the region.












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LMI Training Sessions: Winter 2026

Our ""*"Regional Analysis & Outreach unit [ [link removed] ]"*"" has scheduled a set of LMI Training sessions [ [link removed] ] for the winter season. These sessions will cover a variety of topics ranging from regional and industry-specific updates, career exploration, education and training, and other data tools. You can register by using the links on the LMI Training page [ [link removed] ]. 

*DATE & TIME*



*TITLE*



*TRAINER*



Thursday, January 8
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.



*Labor Market Information to Connect Education, Training, and the Workforce [ [link removed] ]*



Carson Gorecki

Register [ [link removed] ]



Wednesday, January 14
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.



*Utilizing Employment Projections & Wage Data [ [link removed] ]*



Amanda Blaschko

Register [ [link removed] ]



Thursday, January 22
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.



*The Latest in Northeast Minnesota's Labor Market [ [link removed] ]*



Carson Gorecki

Register [ [link removed] ]



Tuesday, March 10
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.



*Utilizing Employment Projections & Wage Data [ [link removed] ]*



Amanda Blaschko

Register [ [link removed] ]



""*"Each month, DEED's Regional Analysis & Outreach unit [ [link removed] ] produces a series of blogs exploring local labor market information. "Please reach out to your regional analyst [ [link removed] ] if you or your staff would be interested in having a customized LMI training session [ [link removed] ]. We would be happy to accommodate your training requests, either on LMI Data Tools [ [link removed] ] or local economic conditions [ [link removed] ]!*""










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