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Minnesota Economic Trends: December 2025 Issue

Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office [ [link removed] ] of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) [ [link removed] ] publishes research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends [ [link removed] ]. The *December 2025 issue [ [link removed] ]* includes the following articles:

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Careers in the Trades: A Tale of Two Genders [ [link removed] ]

Careers in the trades are becoming more popular among high school students thanks to their affordability. However, as shown by the earnings outcomes of trades-related educational programs, well-paying jobs in the trades are significantly more accessible to men than to women.

The Measure of a High-Quality Job [ [link removed] ]

In a tight and changing labor market, job quality is becoming a competitive advantage. This article describes the Governors Workforce Development Board’s High-Quality Jobs Framework and explains how implementing job quality efforts can help employers attract and retain workers while strengthening Minnesota’s long-term workforce.

Small Shops Shaping Minnesota [ [link removed] ]

Small businesses, defined here as those firms with fewer than 20 employees, are the foundation of Minnesota’s economy. In 2023, these firms represented nearly 89% of all establishments and employed 17.8% of the state’s workforce.

Minnesota’s Workforce Since the Pandemic: More Diverse, More Female, More Self-Employed [ [link removed] ]

Minnesota has added a net gain of just over 20,000 jobs since the pandemic, but the composition of the workforce holding those jobs has shifted substantially. Workers of color drove all employment gains while white workers declined; women now outpace men in employment rates for the first time in modern history; teenagers and seniors surged back into the workforce; and self-employment exploded among young adults.

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January 2026 Job Search Experience Survey results show challenges in hiring

Nearly 63% of job counselors in the CareerForce system [ [link removed] ] who responded to the most recent Job Search Experience Survey said it was harder than a year ago for their job-seeking customers to find work. This is up from 59% who responded similarly in the last Job Search Experience survey in July 2025. About 9% of respondents to the most recent survey said it was easier for their clients to find work now versus a year ago. Learn which positions survey respondents across the state say are harder to get hired for and which are easier, plus view perspectives on AI impact on employment and job search, prevalence of job seekers who are unhoused or facing housing insecurity and more in this blog article on CareerForce.MN.gov [ [link removed] ].

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Jobseeking is harder compared to January 2025

""*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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