From Paul Bunyan to Clean Energy: What’s Shaping Minnesota’s Economy Now
Minnesota’s regions collectively show how varied industries, shifting populations, and evolving employment trends shape diverse local labor markets across the state. For more information, please reach out to your regional analyst.
Central Minnesota’s largest occupations span retail, health care, transportation, education and management, illustrating wide wage ranges and multiple pathways to strong careers without necessarily requiring a four-year degree.
DEED’s Labor Market Information Office outlines how green and clean employment is defined and distributed across Metro Area industries, highlighting employment shares, wages and county-level estimates within Minnesota’s emerging clean economy.
Understanding the similarities and differences between official unemployment counts can help unlock useful local labor market insights.
Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues reflect real economic weight in Northwest Minnesota's employment trends in forestry and downstream industries.
Southeast Minnesota's veterinary services industry has grown steadily over the past decade, offering a wide range of career opportunities from entry‑level roles to advanced professional positions that support the health of pets and livestock.
Southwest Minnesota's population has nearly returned to its 1980s level, with modest growth driven largely by international in‑migration despite uneven county trends and ongoing domestic out‑migration.
No-cost job postings on CareerForce.MN.gov get thousands of views
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CareerForce.MN.gov is the Minnesota’s official state labor exchange, where employers can have their job postings reach thousands of Minnesota job seekers.
Pageviews for the job search tool on CareerForce.mn.gov topped And about 20,000 unique users used the job search tool over that time period, spending an average of 10 minutes on the site, perusing open positions then selecting links to learn more and apply.
Find out how employers can get their open positions posted with no fee on CareerForce.MN.gov/Post-a-Job
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TRAINER
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Tuesday, September 1
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
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The State of Construction in Southeast Minnesota
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This presentation will cover the construction industry in Southeast Minnesota. It will look at how the region's construction employment compares to the state, break down the industry by subsector, and dig into employment trends, workforce demographics, wages, and employment projections.
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Amanda Blaschko
Register
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Thursday, September 24
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
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Career Exploration Tools 101
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What occupations are in demand in Minnesota? What are the starting wages for these occupations? What type of education and skills sets are needed? This training is offered for any DEED and DEED partner staff who are interested in answering these types of questions. Emphasis will be on DEED Labor Market Information (LMI) data tools, with an additional look at outside resources that can assist with career exploration.
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Tim O'Neill
Register
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Wednesday, September 30
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
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South Central Labor Market Update
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This presentation takes a close look at the labor market in South Central Minnesota, covering population and labor force trends and projections, key industry trends, employment projections, wages, and workforce demographics.
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Amanda Blaschko
Register
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Thursday, October 1
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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What's Happening in Northwest Minnesota's Job Market?
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The Northwest Minnesota labor market is shifting, and if you're making hiring, training, or economic development decisions, you need to know the trends. This presentation provides a data-driven look at the forces reshaping our regional labor market.
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Anthony Schaffhauser
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Thursday, October 22
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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The Latest in Northeast Minnesota's Labor Market
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Join me for a Northeast Minnesota labor market update. I will provide a summary of the latest data available and dive into some of the trends in employment, unemployment, labor force, and wages. We will examine how the region compares and contrasts with the rest of the state over recent months and years.
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Carson Gorecki
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Thursday, October 22
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
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Understanding Minnesota's Labor Market
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This presentation is offered for any DEED and DEED partner staff who are interested in learning more about state and local labor markets, and resources available through the Labor Market Information Office.
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Tim O'Neill
Register
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Join the 7th annual Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) conference
University of Minnesota Extension's seventh annual Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) conference will take place Sept. 17 - 18 in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Last year's conference brought together nearly 100 entrepreneurs, business leaders, economic development professionals, decision makers, and community champions. Participants had the opportunity to connect with others who care about entrepreneurship in their region, as well as be inspired by collaborative, community-based approaches to supporting entrepreneurs. Be sure to save the date for this exciting event!
Detailed conference information is available at z.umn.edu/CEC2026
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