St. Paul, MN – Minnesota employers added 6,100 jobs in August, according to seasonally adjusted figures released this week by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
The August gains, combined with July figures that were revised from 4,200 jobs lost to 100 jobs lost, put calendar year gains at 13,200 jobs in the state. Over the past 12 months, the state has added 56,311 jobs, a 2 percent growth rate compared with a U.S. growth rate of 1.8 percent.
The state unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent in August, the lowest unemployment rate in the state in nearly eight years. The U.S. unemployment rate in August was 6.1 percent.
“Employers are hiring because Minnesota is a great place to live, work, raise a family and do business,” said State Representative Peter Fischer (DFL – Maplewood). “In fact, CNBC recently ranked Minnesota the 6th best state to do business and an economic report from BMO Harris Bank tells us that our economy is expected to remain on a solid growth track in the years ahead. Those kinds of positive indicators show that we’re heading in the right direction. Moving forward, we need to make sure jobs pay good wages so Minnesotans can support themselves and their families.”
Rep. Fischer encourages his constituents to contact him with any questions or comments about the August jobs report. He can be reached by phone at (651) 296-5363, by email at rep.peter.fischer@house.mn or by postal mail at 421 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155.