Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page [ [link removed] ].












________________________________________________________________________
















Local Look Regional Data
________________________________________________________________________





Student Career Interests, Labor Force Trends, and Key Industries

This issue takes a quick tour of Minnesota’s regions, sharing fresh insights on student plans, generational breakdowns, female labor force participation, job market trends, and the importance and prevalence of gas stations in small towns. For more information, please reach out to your ""*regional analyst. [ [link removed] ]*""

Central Minnesota Blog [ [link removed] ]

Understanding what careers students are interested in can help educators, workforce partners and employers better prepare for the future workforce. Recent survey responses from students across Minnesota – including those in Central Minnesota – provide insight into the types of career fields young people are considering.

Twin Cities Metro Blog [ [link removed] ]

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey [ [link removed] ] (ACS), the Seven-County Twin Cities Metro Area had a population of 3.2 million people in 2024. At the same time, data from Quarterly Workforce Indicators [ [link removed] ] (QWI) shows that the region had 1.8 million jobs. Zooming in on both sets of data reveals a complex and multigenerational mix of people and workers in the region.

Northeast Minnesota Blog [ [link removed] ]

Compared to pre-COVID times, the female labor force participation rate in the region declined 1%, about half the rate the statewide rate declined by. At the same time, the regional unemployment rate for women held steady as the statewide rate for women increased by three tenths of a percent. Women accounted for about 72,000 covered jobs at employer establishments across all industries. This number is equivalent to almost exactly half of the covered employment in the region. That share is virtually the same as it was a decade ago, but many sectors that were traditionally male dominated have started to see more women join their ranks.

Northwest Minnesota Blog [ [link removed] ]

According to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year estimates, an estimated 230,115 women age 16 and over live in Northwest Minnesota. Nearly 59% are in the labor force — including those who are unemployed or self-employed — compared to 62.5% for the overall population. Women also have a lower unemployment rate (3.9%) than the overall regional average (4.4%).

Southeast Minnesota Blog [ [link removed] ]

According to our long-term employment projections [ [link removed] ], Southeast Minnesota is expected to add 12,280 net new jobs between 2022 and 2032. But new job creation is only part of the picture. When you factor in workers retiring and people shifting between occupations, the number of projected openings is much higher. This blog walks through projected demand at each education level [ [link removed] ] using two lenses: new job creation, which shows where the economy is growing, and total hires, which captures the full scope of hiring activity including retirements and occupational transfers.

Southwest Minnesota Blog [ [link removed] ]

In Southwest Minnesota, Gasoline Stations are more than just a place to fill up the tank; they are also one of the most common and essential businesses in the region's small-town economies. Drive through nearly any community across the region and you will likely see a gas station at the entrance to town or along the main highway. In fact, gas stations are one of the few types of businesses that exist in almost every community, regardless of population size, making them a critical part of the local retail landscape.

________________________________________________________________________

SPRING & SUMMER 2026 LMI TRAINING SESSIONS

Our regional analysis team has scheduled a series of training sessions for Spring and Summer 2026 [ [link removed] ], running from March through June and covering topics ranging from the shifting labor market to career exploration tools to specific industry profiles. All of these sessions are virtual, so feel free to sign up for whatever session works best with your schedule and interests!

*DATE & TIME*



*TITLE*



*TRAINER*



Tuesday, April 14
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.



*Know Before You Go: Making Informed Career Decisions with Labor Market Data*



Amanda Blaschko

Register [ [link removed] ]



Thursday, April 23
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.



*Occupations in Demand and Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics*



Amanda Blaschko

Register [ [link removed] ]



Tuesday, May 19
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.



*Career Exploration Tools 101*



Tim O'Neill

Register [ [link removed] ]



Thursday, May 21
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.



*Construction Employment in Minnesota*



Tim O'Neill

Register [ [link removed] ]



Thursday, May 28
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.



*Understanding Minnesota’s Labor Market*



Tim O'Neill

Register [ [link removed] ]



Tuesday, June 9
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.



*The Latest in Northeast Minnesota’s Labor Market*



Carson Gorecki

Register [ [link removed] ]



Thursday, June 18
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.



*Is Northwest Minnesota's Labor Market Holding Steady or Starting to Slide?* 



Anthony Schaffhauser

Register [ [link removed] ]


________________________________________________________________________

 

*Employer Experience Survey:
February 2026 Summary Results*

Is hiring workers easier or harder than it was a year ago for Minnesota employers? Are employers increasing their utilization of artificial intelligence and if so, in what ways? Employer services staff responses [ [link removed] ] to a February 2026 survey offer answers to those questions and others. View summary results here [ [link removed] ]. Look for more detailed results and analysis in an article to be posted soon in Minnesota Economic Trends.

[link removed]

Employer Experience Survey Results











________________________________________________________________________



""*"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] ]!*""










Color Bar




________________________________________________________________________

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Logo [ [link removed] ]

 

Questions? Contact Us [ [link removed] ]

Sign up for email updates [ [link removed] ]   Follow us on X [ [link removed] ]   Sign up for email updates [ [link removed] ]

Bookmark and Share [ [link removed] ]

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:

Manage Preferences [ [link removed] ]  |  Unsubscribe [ [link removed] ]  |  Help [ [link removed] ]

"DEED is an equal opportunity employer and program provider."


________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development · Great Northern Building, 180 E 5th St Suite 1200, St. Paul, MN 55101 · (800) 657-3858 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]