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Minnesota's jobless rate improved to a seasonally adjusted 3.5 percent in December as the state added 9,100 jobs and finished the year on a strong note. Overall job growth for 2015 still lagged behind the nation, state officials said Thursday.

The state's unemployment rate was slightly lower than November's revised 3.6 percent rate and remained significantly below the 5 percent rate for the country.


Minnesota finished the year with a boost of 18,300 jobs added in the final two months of 2015, the 

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

 said as it released the December data, which also included updated figures showing an additional 2,000 jobs created in November.

"The state labor market finished the year with a strong surge, adding 18,300 jobs in the final two months," said DEED Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben said in a statement. "Nearly all signs point to continued growth in Minnesota in 2016." 

Eight of Minnesota's 11 major industrial sectors added jobs last month, led by government with 4,300 new jobs. Other sectors adding to payrolls were leisure and hospitality (2,800), education and health services (2,100), financial activities (2,000), manufacturing (1,600), construction (1,300), other services (500) and information (200). 

Three sectors cut employment: professional and business services (-3,200), trade, transportation and utilities (-2,000), and logging and mining (-500).

The December data brought total 2015 job gains in Minnesota to 42,485. Jobs grew 1.5 percent in the state in the calendar year compared with a U.S. growth rate of 1.9 percent in the same period. 

The education and health services sector was the largest single job creator for Minnesota in 2015, gaining 12,680 jobs. Leisure and hospitality followed with 11,348 jobs while professional and business services added 10,468. 


The department said three sectors lost jobs in 2015: logging and mining (down 1,380), information (down 1,103) and other services (down 530).

Business and Economic News

MPR News Staff

Author

Minnesota finished the year with a surge of 18,300 jobs added in the final two months of 2015. But overall job growth for 2015 lagged behind the nation, state officials said Thursday.

Minnesota logs 3.5 percent December jobless rate, adds 9,100 jobs

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