State adds 5,200 jobs; unemployment rises
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Minnesota's economy gained a net 5,200 jobs in March.
And over the past year, the state has added jobs at a slightly higher rate than the rest of the nation.
Jobs in the education and health services sector led the way with 2,300 new jobs.
State labor market expert Steve Hine with the Department of Employment and Economic Development said it's too early to know if the latest numbers indicate any trends.
"We began to slow down well before the nation did. We really flattened out in early 2006. And it hasn't been until, well, this month that we have finally seen an over-the-year job growth rate for the state that exceeds the nation," Hine said.
Even with the gain in jobs, the state's unemployment rate also increased slightly from February to March. The change reflects growth in the state workforce with more people looking for work.
The state's rate is now 4.7 percent, which is below the national unemployment rate.
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