MN jobless rate edges up to 7 percent: Quick hits

Here's this morning's press release from the Department of Employment and Economic Development.

I'm trolling through it now. A few thoughts:

-- Minnesota construction jobs continue to get hammered, down 2,500 in August; down 8,100 from the same time a year ago and falling much faster compared to the construction sector nationally.

We noted earlier this week the hit construction jobs have taken during the recession.

This chart from the Minnesota Housing Partnership focuses only on residential building jobs, but it's pretty telling about the construction business generally.

Right now, there's not much hope for that trend line and all the people it represents.

-- Manufacturing continues to recover slowly. It lost 200 jobs in August but is up 5,600 from last year. Still, it's a long climb back from the glory days before the recession.

-- Only five of the state's 11 sectors added jobs in August. Professional and business services grew by 4,900 jobs but administrative and support services, which includes temporary help, accounted for most of the growth in this sector.

Experts typically view temp job growth as a positive leading indicator. But we've been seeing that for several months now and wonder when temp jobs will turn into permanent ones.

-- DEED identified 488 green jobs open in the state during the fourth quarter of 2009, most in environmental cleanup, education, regulation, renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.

See anything that jumps out at you in the data?

Drop us a line.

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