MN jobless rate ticks up to 4 percent in August; 1,500 jobs lost

Job search
File photo from the Minnesota State University Job and Internship Fair in Brooklyn Center, Minn. Feb. 6, 2015.
Jeffrey Thompson / MPR News File 2015

Updated: 11:05 a.m. | Posted: 10:30 a.m.

Minnesota's jobless rate rose to a seasonally adjusted 4 percent in August, up from 3.9 percent in July, as employers cut 1,500 jobs, state officials said Thursday.

Unemployment rate in Minnesota
Unemployment rate in Minnesota through July
Graph courtesy of Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

It was the first time in more than two years that Minnesota's rate touched 4 percent.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

While still significantly better than the nation's 4.9 percent jobless rate, Minnesota continues to lag the nation in job creation. Jobs grew at a 1.7 percent rate the past 12 months in the U.S. and 1.4 percent in Minnesota.

"Job growth over the past year indicates the Minnesota economy is expanding at a healthy pace," Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Shawntera Hardy said in a statement releasing the data. "Seven of the state's 11 major industrial sectors added jobs in the last 12 months, and other economic measures point to continued growth."

The agency said the state has added 40,629 jobs over the past year. In that period, education and health services led all sectors with 21,590 new jobs.

Sectors losing jobs the past 12 months include information (down 2,174), logging and mining (down 1,147), manufacturing (down 511) and other services (down 204).