Minnesota employers added 4,100 jobs in December and the state’s labor force grew by 3,300 jobseekers, according to data released Thursday by the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Minnesota has added jobs for six straight months and 10 months out of the last 12.
Minnesota’s unemployment rate decreased two tenths of a percentage point to 3.3% in December. Nationally, over the month, the employment rate declined one tenth of a percentage point to 4.1%. The state’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 67.8%, as did the national rate of 62.5%.
Over the year, nearly 10,000 Minnesotans joined the labor force. In that time, Minnesota gained nearly 37,500 payroll jobs, up 1.3% compared to 1.4% nationally. The private sector gain 17,302 jobs, up 0.7%, compared to 1.3% nationally.