Northeastern Minnesota saw 400 more new jobs in September than in August and 1,600 more jobs than this time last year, according to monthly data released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The good news included fewer layoffs than any month in three years.
But the lingering effects of a "bouncy" economic recovery continue to show up, with some sectors adding jobs and some losing jobs.
Regional manufacturing employment dropped for both the month and the year. Education and health-care employment also fell for the month. But, in contrast, leisure and hospitality employment is up 4.7 percent compared to the same month last year; professional and business services were up 3.4 percent; trade, transportation and utilities employment are up 3.2 percent.
Actual September unemployment rates for the region will be released next week, and it's not clear if the number of new jobs will offset the number of new people looking for jobs, said Drew Digby, regional analyst for the Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Overall, private employment is up 1.9 percent compared to 2010, though that's still 3,500 jobs below pre-recession 2007 levels.
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"It's still showing how bouncy this recovery is," Digby said. "But there's good news in several areas, including the fact September saw the fewest fresh layoffs (for our region) than any month in three years, and the lowest September (layoffs) since 2004."
The number of jobs in Northeastern Minnesota has grown by 1.3 percent this year, above the national average of 1 percent.
Statewide, unemployment fell to a seasonally adjusted 6.9 percent in September, down 7.2 percent in August and 7.1 percent in September 2010. The decline came even as the state had a net loss of 7,400 jobs from last month.
