Minn. gains 2,500 jobs in January; 2017 gains cut

Minnesota employers added 2,500 jobs to their payrolls in January, according statistics the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development released Wednesday.

The state's jobless rate held steady from December at 3.3 percent. The December rate was revised up from the 3.1 percent originally reported.

While the state's job market remains tight, new revisions indicate the state's payroll employment grew much less in 2017 than originally reported.

Updated counts from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Minnesota gained 30,606 jobs, not the 44,200 jobs that were originally estimated. That's a 31 percent cut. The job growth rate over the year fell from 1.5 percent to 1.1 percent because of the revision.

"Minnesota launched the year on a positive note with 2,500 new jobs," said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. "While job growth over the past year was slower than earlier data suggested, the economy is still growing and businesses are hiring."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics adjusts payroll employment statistics each year. The job counts issued each month are based on a survey of a sample of employers, and represent an estimate of total employment. The annual revisions are based on much more precise counts derived from state unemployment insurance (UI) tax records that nearly all employers have to file.

In January government added the most jobs, with 2,700. The ther sectors with employment growth include: leisure and hospitality (1,200), professional and business services (500), other services (500), trade, transportation and utilities (400), manufacturing (300) and construction (100). Logging and mining held steady.

Three sectors saw employment declines: education and health services (1,700), financial activities (1,400) and information (100).