Minnesota gains 3,900 jobs in April, unemployment rate unchanged at 2.7%

Minnesota added 3,900 jobs last month, the state’s fourth-straight month of job growth, the state Department of Employment and Economic Development reported on Thursday. The private sector gained 5,500 jobs.

Minnesota’s unemployment rate was steady at 2.7%, where it’s held for six months. This compares with a national unemployment rate of 3.9%.

DEED also reported that the state added 3,710 people to the labor force last month, keeping the labor force participation rate steady at 62.7%. This is the percentage of the overall working-age population that is employed or actively seeking work, and is used to calculate the unemployment rate.

“The numbers released today reinforce that Minnesota’s economy remains strong,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “Continued job growth and labor force growth are excellent indicators for Minnesota. We’ll continue to focus on making Minnesota a great place to work, live and raise a family.”

By sector, the top job gainers last month were Financial Activities, up 1,800 jobs; Manufacturing, up 1,300 jobs, and Construction up 1,100 jobs. Four sectors lost jobs over the month, with the biggest decline in Government, down 1,600 jobs.

Over the year, Minnesota has gained 44,507 payroll jobs, up 1.5%. The private sector gained 23,889 jobs, up 0.9% over the year.

Average hourly wages for all private sector workers in Minnesota increased 33 cents over the month to $37.13. Over the year, average hourly earnings increased $1.25, up 3.5%, slightly outpacing inflation.

A broader measure of unemployment, called the U-6, was at 5.4% in April, unchanged from March. This measure also factors in people who are voluntarily unemployed, not seeking work, marginally employed, or part-time employed seeking a full-time position.

By race, Black unemployment was 4.2%; Hispanic, 4.5%; white, 2.6%; Asian, 1.9%, and Native American, 8.3%.