MinnEcon Category Archive: MinnEcon maps

Mapping your economy stories

Posted at 11:06 AM on March 8, 2010 by Paul Tosto (0 Comments)
Filed under: MinnEcon maps

April marks a year that we've been asking Minnesotans to tell us a story about the economy around them. It's been a fun project. But we need you to help us keep it going by taking five minutes and sharing a story of life in the recession.

The stories we've heard to date have been detailed and heartfelt. Reading them brings an instant understanding of the struggles and resiliency of Minnesotans in the recession.

Each one makes a little smarter about the economy and better able to report on the issues.

We realized, though, that we've never shown readers the responses in one post. So take a look at the maps below.

We received about 170 responses and broke them into five categories. Browse through and you'll read stories of people like you and your neighbors. The maps have been viewed nearly 150,000 times. Many of the stories told became posts for this blog or radio pieces for MPR News.

Take a look and then add your voice.

Here's what people have told us about jobs and employment issues. It's been by far the most viewed and discussed map.

Here are the stories people have shared about the housing market around them.

On this map you'll find people talking about saving and spending issues and also about the general state of the economy around them.

Here's our Good News map. It doesn't have nearly enough responses so here's a chance to tell us something positive. Are you seeing an upswing in your household economy or in your community? Scored a good deal? Seeing the recovery yet? We could use something upbeat!

We've had the toughest time with this one, our Watchdog map. See something that looks like a bad deal or potential scam? Tell us what you found and help others steer clear.

Every response we get helps us build a portrait of life in this economy in Minnesota. So take a couple minutes and share one story.

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Survived 2009, hopeful for 2010?

Posted at 12:00 PM on January 12, 2010 by Paul Tosto (0 Comments)
Filed under: Jobs & unemployment, MinnEcon maps

Sylvia Chandler sums up her 2009 economic story in two words: "Lost income."

Like so many Minnesotans, she took a financial hit last year. She's a little more optimistic about her 2010, but only if the overall U.S. economy holds its ground. "If things should get worse nationally," the Chanhassen ballet instructor says, "I would not be able to improve things personally either. "

Most of us could not wait to rip the 2009 calendar off the nail. It was an awful year in Minnesota and across the country for job losses, home values and pretty much every other economic indicator.

Chandler and other Minnesotans hope for a better 2010 but they're wary of national problems that will hobble a recovery here.

We asked Chandler and other citizens in MPR's Public Insight Network to write us a headline that described their 2009 economy and their outlook for 2010. Click on the map icons to see some of the responses, then add your 2010 forecast here.

"Over the summer I had a lot of unexpected class cancellations, as well as lost some teaching hours during the school year," says Chandler.

"I expect things to be improving on a personal basis because I am enrolled in some continuing education that should enable me to improve my earnings next year. If things should get worse nationally, I would not be able to improve things personally either."

Bill Jones, a St. Paul information technology manager, describes his 2009 economy as "damaged but not destroyed," and he's upbeat about a continued upward trend. "The financial and housing markets are recovering, returning some personal wealth lost in 2009."

We'll get some better signs this week of where the 2010 economy's headed. Retail sales numbers for December -- a crucial month -- will be released on Thursday.

"There's not a big expectation that retail sales will be particularly strong," but there are signs of an improving economy, Chris Farrell, MPR's chief economics correspondent, said Monday on MPR's Morning Edition.

"We're still weighed down by the job market nationally and locally, and and continued concern about the residential real estate market," which seems to be stabilizing but is not doing much beyond that, he added.

For now, many Minnesotans are still dealing with a mix of 2009 pain and 2010 hope.

"I worked through what they say is the worst of the economic downturn/great recession. So I am new to unemployment, says JP Rennquist of Duluth, who told us of losing his human services job. Still, "I have many skills and a lot of optimism and a huge network of contacts that I am working."

Two micro-businesses he owns bring in a small amount of income. "Couple that with the duplex that I live in so I can rent out part of the house and cover about 1/3 of my house payment. I'm still about 60 days behind on that, but I know that things are better for me than many.

"Multiple streams of income seem to be key in Duluth," he adds, "and probably many places in the state if you want to survive boom/bust cycles."

BONUS INFO: Click on the play button to listen to MPR's Chris Farrell on what's ahead for the Minnesota and national economies.

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Tough job market continues for many Minnesotans, no matter the numbers

Posted at 12:00 PM on December 16, 2009 by Paul Tosto (0 Comments)
Filed under: Jobs & unemployment, MinnEcon maps

On Thursday, we'll get our next best look at Minnesota's employment situation when the state releases jobless data for November.

Thoughts are mixed on whether we'll see an uptick on the 7.6 percent rate from October. Even if it goes up that may be a sign of something good -- people who fell out of the labor force completely in the recession re-entering to at least search again.
(UPDATE: November rate is 7.4 percent.)

No matter the numbers, it's still clear many Minnesota families know a story of job loss or job struggle. They see it in their homes and neighborhoods, among friends or families. Or it's a first-person account.

"Many of my friends and I are recent college graduates and I know very few who have been able to get jobs in our desired fields, if we have been able to get jobs at all," said Dorisa Nelson of St. Paul.

She'd like to intern in an architecture firm and work her way to becoming a licensed architect. But it's a business that's been hit particularly hard in this recession.

She's doing part-time seasonal work at a retail store and likes it, but it will end soon.

We asked Minnesotans in MPR's Public Insight Network recently to take their employment pulse: What's the job climate like? Tell us about your job security or your job search.

Nelson and a couple dozen told us their stories. Click on the map icons below to read some of them. (You can add your voice here.)

Some, like Robyn Kunz of Crystal, said they were relatively secure. She runs the operations department for a background screening agency.

"I am lucky to be in an industry that is somewhat recession proof. I'm confident that our company will continue to grow over the next few years and that I will be a part of that growth."

Others are still feeling the recession's collateral damage.

Jim Dooley is a real estate broker in Apple Valley. He's self-employed and secure but has seen a big drop in business in the suburbs.

I can see an even bigger drop in my real estate business as soon as the next round of stimulus ends in April. There was a big uptick in real estate closings in October and November because buyers thought the $8000 1st time home buyer program was going to end.

I do not see any signs that the job market is improving, only getting worse.

Kim Otterson is a farmer and farrier from Royalton. She shoes horses and trims their feet. Horses have become a luxury in this economy.

"The horse market is WAY down, both due to the economy in general and other factors. People are still taking care of their horses, but they are cutting back as much as they feel they can, to save money," she said. "This affects how busy I am."

Otterson said things will pick up for her in the spring ("they always do") but she's looking for part-time work to get her there.

While tomorrow's jobless numbers might show a lower unemployment rate, she and others say that doesn't necessarily mean things will get better fast.

"I feel that our unemployment isn't accounted for in the unemployment numbers we hear about on the news/radio and because of this, the statistics are misleading," Nelson said." Whatever job growth there is in the numbers it is hard to see the change when so many of the people you know remain unemployed in various fields."

We don't just need jobs (in Minnesota)," Otterson said, "we need jobs that pay a wage people can thrive on. It's pretty hard to raise a family flipping burgers."

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The state has a shortfall, but is it local government that feels the pain?

Posted at 8:47 AM on December 8, 2009 by Michael Caputo (0 Comments)
Filed under: Greater Minnesota, MinnEcon maps, Saving & spending

The state's $1.2 billion budget deficit likely means cuts are coming, and that has county, city and other municipal officials worried about how much of the state's loss they will be forced to absorb.

Last year, when state government cut aid to municipalities, Aitkin County let workers go in the sheriff's department and in the health and human services division, according to Gord Prickett, chairman of the county's planning commission. Waseca County Commissioner Rick Morris said his county escaped 2009 without layoffs by not filling vacancies.

"It looks like we'll have to add other alternatives to our list of options," said Morris.

He and Prickett are sources in MPR's Public Insight Network who responded to questions about the effects of the state budget deficit on government programs and services.

An MPR analysis of job numbers gave a more nuanced picture of what's happening. State Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) job figures from 2001 to 2009 show the local municipal workforce fell by 2,200 jobs or about 1 percent. Meantime, state government jobs increased 10,100 or 11.5 percent.

At first blush, the numbers suggest the state workers have been less affected by budget cuts than those employed by local government. But there are mitigating factors to consider, said Steve Hine, labor market analyst at DEED. State numbers include figures from the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and University system. In 2009, about 59,100 out of the 97,900 state jobs were in higher education. And higher education jobs rose by 15 percent from 2001 to 2009. The rest of the state workforce grew at 6.4 percent.

On the local level, Hine says 6,000 jobs were lost in the health and human services sector due, in large measure, to reclassification of jobs at the Hennepin County Medical Center. That's because in late 2006 the hospital went from county-owned to a county subsidiary run by a non profit. The job numbers were taken out of the local government numbers, but the jobs were not lost.

"You can dig into these numbers and see deeper reasons for jumps and dips," Hine said.

Even so, government officials in the Public Insight Network said they will have to look beyond job cuts and consider raising revenue if the state pulls back on local government assistance to balance its budget.

In Aitkin County, Prickett says, the planning and zoning department already has raised permit fees "two and three times," to cover department expenses.

I looked at revenue data from the state's office of Management and Budget and, after adjusting for inflation, found that county, city and townships saw a 14 percent cut in state aid from 2001 to 2008. During the same time period, they increased property taxes 11 percent and other taxes and fees 13.5 percent.

But it's also interesting to note that during the same time period, state aid to local school districts rose 33 percent, when inflation is factored in. Meanwhile property tax revenue raised by local schools dropped 17 percent.

Finally, some counties have to delay or scrap projects to save money. Brent Olson, a Big Stone County commissioner, says they'll scrutinize economic development and road projects, "simply because those are the sort of things that can be delayed."

To see the full range of comments on this topic, click on the map icons below to read what public employees and officials in Minnesota said about budget cuts... then share your story.

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A look at Minnesota's broadband divide

Posted at 9:00 PM on November 19, 2009 by Paul Tosto (0 Comments)
Filed under: Greater Minnesota, MinnEcon maps, Twin Cities metro

Broadband access is now a legal right in Finland. In Minnesota, not so much.

A recent state report urged Minnesota to do more to get citizens online at high speed. While the report found most citizens have some access to broadband, many aren't bringing into their homes, especially in rural Minnesota.

We asked Minnesotans in MPR's Public Insight Network to tell us a little about their Web connections and why it was important. We were surprised to hear stories of people in greater Minnesota still dealing with dial-up.

Others told us lack of competition was a problem in some areas of the state, keeping the price unaffordable. Solutions? Some said the government needs to do something. Others, tired of government spending, said that was the last thing needed.

There wasn't much argument, however, about the need.

"Access to high speed internet is as important to me as access to a railroad was to my great-grandparents when they homesteaded here," said Brent Olson of Ortonville, a writer and Big Stone County commissioner. Service, he added, is "very spotty, depending on which phone or cable provider you have."

Mitch Jasper, the mayor of Jackson, said he and others are pulling together a group of towns in southwestern Minnesota "to band (no pun intended) together to apply for monies through the stimulus.This plan is to put fiber optics in every home and every business."

3/8 UPDATE: Jackson and those Minnesota towns scored nearly $13 million in federal stimulus money for their broadband project.

Click on the map icons below to see what others in our Network had to say.

Click the little box on the upper right hand corner of the map to see it in full screen.

Lois Garbisch, a home manager from Cook, laid out the frustrations of a slow connection in a fast world.

I have dial up with an accelerator. Dial up would be intolerable without that. In town and at the lake there is Quest DSL, which I've heard is quite fast. But for the rest of us, our choices are only satellite, which is expensive and not all that fast, and by radio signal, which has an expensive set up charge. I'm only a mile from the edge of town but Qwest won't bring broadband to our road.

That's an issue MPR's Dan Olson noted in his recent report. Money is a big factor determining how soon more Minnesotans will have faster Internet speeds.
Companies selling Internet services prefer to have a batch of subscribers ready to sign up before they start installing the infrastructure.

The state task force urged that Minnesota become one of the national leaders in broadband access and use by 2015. They didn't say how to pay for it but called on the public and private sectors to work together.

It wasn't that long ago that broadband, high speed Web service was a luxury. Not any more.

"High speed internet service permits more working at home which is good for the environment and increases an individuals productivity," said Doreen Mahoney, a Network source and real estate lien search supervisor in Nisswa.

For her, that means, "I will be able to provide care to my elderly parent at home which also avoids senior care expenses and improves my mothers quality of life and keeps her healthier and happier."

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Recession over? Not from where you're standing

Posted at 12:00 PM on November 17, 2009 by Paul Tosto (1 Comments)
Filed under: Jobs & unemployment, MinnEcon maps

It's a weird time in this economy. We're told we're in recovery. But here we are holding our breath for Thursday when we'll see Minnesota's jobless numbers for October. Officials are already bracing for a spike in the jobless rate.

So we asked Minnesotans in MPR's Public Insight Network just to finish one of these sentences: "I'll believe the recession's over when ..." or "I'm feeling a recovery right now because ..." and then add a little detail.

We were struck by some of the responses showing how much collateral damage people are seeing: friends, neighbors, relatives still struggling.

"I'll believe the recession's over when ... a young man I mentored can find a job in his field," said Ben Weiss of St. Paul.

"He graduated from technical college in May 2008 with a certificate in welding; the school said 87 percent of graduates normally find jobs in their field within a year. He's still working his part-time student job at a grocery store. "

Click on the map icons to read what others told us.

Click the little box on the upper right hand corner of the map to see it in full screen.

Most of the map icons are lightening bolts indicating responses of people who are not convinced the recession's over.

Mitch Lentz of Spring Valley won't be convinced until he sees Main Street recover.

No matter what happens on Wall Street, it's not going to look good on Main Street for quite a while longer.

Sure you can find signs that the economy is turning the corner but it won't feel good for months. If you don't have a job, you don't care if GDP is going up. If the housing market is improving and you lost your house to bankruptcy you don't care. You care that you don't have a house for your family.

In the map, you'll see a few folks who do say they can feel a recovery. You have to zoom around to find them. I marked them with purple sunshine icons (don't laugh).

"I'm feeling a recovery right now because ... the value of my retirement funds and savings have recovered to where they were at over a year ago, and they are still growing," said Russ Stanton of Edina. "The selling prices of homes are rising fast. Employers are hiring more temps--which usually precedes increased employment."

What are you seeing?

Click here and finish one of those sentences. Help us keep the conversation rolling.

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Credit card changes: when a deal isn't a deal

Posted at 4:00 PM on November 2, 2009 by Paul Tosto (0 Comments)
Filed under: MinnEcon maps, Saving & spending

We like to think when we do business with a company, there's a give-and-take relationship mutually beneficial to both. But when it comes to credit cards, consumers are not feeling the love.

Sources in MPR's Public Insight Network told us recently about their credit cards terms, how the companies are changing them and the pros and cons of life on credit. We also asked them to tell us the highest and lowest interest rates they were paying on a card.

We tapped into a lot of frustration. We all live with "terms subject to change." But even folks who pay off their balances each month were ticked to be told by their credit card company that rates were going up and credit lines dropping. Of the 50-plus responses we got, nearly every one said their card terms were changing -- and not for the better.

Click on the map icons below to read stories of how people are dealing with credit and credit card issues and what happened when some called to complain.

Click the little box on the upper right hand corner of the map to see it in full screen.

My MPR colleague Mike Caputo got at these issues in a recent MinnEcon post.

What's coming down the pike for credit card lenders are new regulations by the federal government as part of the Credit Card Reform Act. The measure passed by Congress last spring is designed to curb fee increases and curb abusive billing practices. The measures were set to take affect next February, but Congress is working on legislation to accelerate the timetable to December 1.

That was a response to what congressional leaders saw as an attempt by credit card lenders to raise fees and interest rates in advance of the law taking affect. Now Sen. Chris Dodd is calling for congressional action to freeze credit card rates until the new law takes affect.

Many of our Network sources were blindsided by the changes and their cascading effects.

"Almost all of my cards have increased their APR by a minimum of 2%. They have also reduced the level of credit available to just above my balance on the card," Sandy Unger of Eagan told us.

That has reduced my credit ability, increased my debt ratios and thereby reduced my credit scores. I am trying to pay down debt as quickly as possible and refraining from using my cards wherever possible.

Leonard Cone of Burnsville told us he got a notice of a big rate increase coming on one card. He called the company. "I was told that due to adverse business conditions that they need to raise their rates.

I pointed out that their problems had nothing to do with me and that I would pay the entire account balance and asked to cancel my card. A 'supervisor' came on the line and apologized and offered to continue at the old rate. "

Mark Yatckoske of St. Louis Park told us he reduced his credit card use as much as he can and is trying mostly to use cash. "All my credit cards jacked rates on existing balances even though I have been meeting the terms....If they want to raise rates on future purchases, they have that right, but a deal is a deal."

11/3 UPDATE: Check out Caputo's credit card Q&A on All Things Considered.

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Credit card company changed the terms of the deal on you? Share your story here or post below and help keep the conversation going.

We'd also love to hear from people who are in banking. Post below or contact me directly.

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That kind of year...

Posted at 11:00 AM on October 30, 2009 by Paul Tosto (0 Comments)
Filed under: Jobs & unemployment, MinnEcon maps, Saving & spending

In October 2008, in the depths of recession, we asked people in MPR's Public Insight Network to take their economic pulse -- tell us what the month ahead looked like, what spending they were putting off and just generally how things were going in their personal economies.

We caught up with some of those folks this month to see how things have changed. The recession's had a profound effect in good ways and bad. Some paid down debt, bought homes and kept their fiscal balance. Others struggled. One lost her business.

Click on the map icons below to read stories of how things have gone for some Minnesotans and the things they sacrificed in the past year.

Click the little box on the upper right hand corner of the map to see it in full screen.

The odd thing is, Minnesota's economy didn't look all that horrible a year ago. Yes, the nation was in recession but I was surprised to look back and find state unemployment was "only" 6 percent.

Nancy Vyskocil, a Network source from Bemidji, said she was holding steady financially these days.

I don't shop as much as I use to. I don't go to stores as much and think about things more than it did in the past before I make a purchase. We have pulled back from buying a more expensive home and looked at streamlining our life and expenses some.

She also told us she runs a public charity and "struggled with not being able to give raises to employees who were doing a great job. We held the line on wages, including my own and other expenses of the organization. It was really hard during budget time and sometimes you just don't want to be the boss. "

"Took a gamble to start again in a different country."

That's how Austin Miller summed up the past year. He'd been living in Minneapolis working as a financial analyst when he decided, "to quit my secure corporate job, move to Europe, and attend grad school, hoping to make a career change in the next few years. I went from having steady bi-weekly cash flows to forcing myself into a position that will ultimately require me to go into debt."

Raya Newbold, a Network source from Pine River, told us she had to shut down down her organic clothing business.

For the first half of the year made it on selling off the assets, then by summer sales dried up and so did our cash flow. We maxed our credit out hoping the next sale was around the corner- it was but the merchandise was shipped, but never paid for.
In September we hunkered down and spent a grand total of $7.95 all month. My husband was able to find a job in Oct for a quarter of his normal wages... so at least we are making mortgage now. We are now on a cash basis only and that is just enough to pay house and utilities. It's a good thing my mom helps us with clothing and food.

Despite the tough economic times, she's says it's been good in some ways for her and her family. "I don't need to be a consumer to be happy," she says. "With all the time I am not spending shopping I can make things/repair things instead. My boys are finally learning ... how great life is when you spend it doing rather then buying.

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What's your economic year been like? Post below and tell us what you've seen and experienced, or use this form.

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Work. Found.

Posted at 12:09 PM on October 23, 2009 by Paul Tosto (0 Comments)
Filed under: Jobs & unemployment, MinnEcon maps

Some found their dream job. Others found just enough work to get by for now.

We checked in recently with folks in MPR's Public Insight Network who told us in the past they were searching for work. An earlier map showed those who told us they were still looking.

Click on the map icons below to read stories of finding work -- and persevering.

Click on the little box in the upper right hand corner of the map to see it in full screen.

Some of it's great news.

Phil Soucheray, a Network source from Eagan told us he'd landed a job as an internal communications writer for a major company.

This is a great fit for me. At age 55, the process of getting the job was challenging. I relied heavily on my contacts in my network...I also know that it required a certain level of "campaigning" through that network...It took several months of effort. But it has certainly been worth it.

We asked him and others about the experience of searching. Soucheray told us, "One of the biggest (surprises) was that, while age seemed to be a factor, I was able to land the position without having to do something to hide mine (e.g. hair coloring).

Others told us they found work but still needed to keep searching.

Beth Jensen, a Network source from North St. Paul, told us she'd landed a temp job but planned to start looking again.

In my extended family we had four people get laid off and all were college educated. I also think that emailing or job websites didn't help at all. I'd look and look and all of the jobs were sales related. I had much better luck with the smaller websites, nonprofit job searching sites.

"For many people my current job would still put me in the ranks of the unemployed," said Stephen Cheesebrow of St. Paul. His new title: Househusband.

"I have a number of friends, who at first giggled at the idea, have now found themselves in the same situation that I am in," he adds.

Believe me, Stephen, anyone doing that job knows how hard it is.

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Check out the map below to see what Minnesotans in our Network have been telling us about the job climate around them. Then share your story.

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It's a good time to ...

Posted at 4:00 PM on October 21, 2009 by Paul Tosto (0 Comments)
Filed under: MinnEcon maps

Return to school. Buy a house. Volunteer. Save.

Fall is a great season for reflection. So when we asked sources in MPR's Public Insight Network to finish the sentence: "It's a good time to...", we knew we'd get some great answers.

Click the icons below and you'll find the hopes and worries of Minnesotans embedded in a simple statement. Many talked of changing, or wanting to change, their economic lives.

Click the little box in the upper right hand corner of the map to see it in full screen.

The responses show there's still a lot of worry about the economy and where it's headed, but it's mixed with some new energy.

"I am getting weary of living with my financial head ducked down," said David Marty, a Network source and arts administrator in Grand Rapids. "The economy is regenerating, and the more people participate, the more it will revitalize."

Amy Salmey, another Network source and social worker from South St. Paul, told us she bought a fixer-upper foreclosed home this summer and is slowly fixing it up.

I was able to save up enough money to make this all happen by living with my parents for the past three years. It is a stressful, anxiety provoking time for me, but it is also very exciting because I have this opportunity to walk right into home ownershp without having to rent. It was a big leap for me, but so far no regrets!

Mike Nix, a truck driver from Royalton, likely spoke for a lot of Minnesotans when he said it's a good time to "stay at my job and try to pay off bills. I want to be debt free in 10 years so I can retire."

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Keep this conversation rolling. Finish the, "It's a good time to..." sentence in the comment area below or click here.

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MinnEcon map | Wanted: Full-time work

Posted at 9:50 AM on October 13, 2009 by Paul Tosto (0 Comments)
Filed under: Jobs & unemployment, MinnEcon maps

A recovery may be coming, but many Minnesotans still haven't felt it.

Minnesota Public Radio News checked in recently with folks in our Public Insight Network who'd told us in the past they were searching for work. Click on the map icons below to read stories of folks still hoping to find a stable full-time job.

Click on the little box in the upper right hand corner of the map to see it in full screen.

At 8 percent unemployment, Minnesota's doing better than most states. The latest Minnesota unemployment numbers come out Thursday. It's possible the rate might inch up -- a good sign, potentially, that discouraged workers are at least trying again.

But that's not much comfort for people who can't find full-time work. It can be hard to keep your head up.

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What's the economy like around you? Share your story here.

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