Study: Minnesota minorities with post-secondary credentials make less than whites

ST. PAUL - Minorities in Minnesota make less than whites after earning a college degree or other post-secondary credentials, according to a study released Wednesday by the state of Minnesota.
The analysis by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development also found that whites and Asians are more likely to have year-round full-time employment after getting a degree or credential, while other racial groups are more likely to have part-time or seasonal work.
Using unemployment insurance wage records from DEED and Minnesota Office of Higher Education post-secondary graduation records from July 2011 to June 2013, the study found that in the second year after graduation, white Minnesotans had a median annual wage of $43,738. That’s compared to a median annual wage of $42,124 for Hispanics, $42,015 for Asians, $41,210 for African-Americans, $39,434 for people of two races or more, and $37,389 for American Indians.
The findings follow the approval of $35 million by the Minnesota Legislature this spring to address economic disparities in 2017, along with $17.5 million in ongoing funding. Most of the money will go to programs to increase job opportunities and close economic gaps.
DEED said in a statement that the funding is "the first step in addressing deep economic disparities that exist in the state."