Bob CollinsWe figured the June unemployment numbers in Minnesota would be bad, especially considering the national figures — released a few weeks ago — took economists by surprise.
How bad? 8.4 percent bad, Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development said today.
That’s 16, 740 jobs that disappeared in June. Based on a 40-hour week, that’s 95 jobs disappearing per hour for the entire month. Imagine the boss calling in three people every two minutes for an entire month to tell them they’re losing their jobs. That’s how bad.
The sectors that added jobs in June were trade, transportation and utilities, which gained 800 jobs, and financial activities, which added 600 positions.
The job losses appeared to occur right where the economic stimulus was aimed: Construction (down 3,900) and manufacturing (down 3,700).
“Government” added 2,500 jobs during the month year. It takes a lot more than a recession or a hemorrhaging state budget to slow down the growth of government.
Over the course of the year, the Duluth-Superior area was the hardest hit, with more than 4 percent of the jobs disappearing. By contrast, Rochester lost only 1.3 of its jobs; a testament, perhaps, to the axiom that health care weathers recessions.
The statewide map — provided by DEED — shows the extent to which Minnesota is a have/have not state when it comes to unemployment. This is based on the county breakdown, the latest numbers for which are May’s:
