Capitol View: April 16, 2009 Archive

MN Unemployment rate: 8.2%

Posted at 10:25 AM on April 16, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Here's the release. You can dig deeper into the numbers here.

State Unemployment Rate 8.2 Percent in March

~Employers eliminate 23,200 jobs statewide~

ST. PAUL - The Minnesota unemployment rate edged up to a seasonally adjusted 8.2 percent in March, remaining below the U.S. rate of 8.5 percent, according to figures released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

State employers eliminated 23,200 jobs in March, compared with the loss of 663,000 jobs nationwide during the month. Over the past year, job counts in both Minnesota and the nation have decreased 3.6 percent.

"This is a broad-based recession that is affecting nearly every state and every sector of the economy," said DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy. "But we are seeing signs that the economy might be improving nationally, including increasing orders for manufactured goods in February, a slight uptick in consumer confidence in March and stronger sales for existing homes."

In March, Minnesota added 200 jobs in the category comprising other services, which includes industries like repair and maintenance, religious and grant-making organizations, and barbershops and beauty salons.

March job losses were posted in manufacturing (down 6,700), professional and business services (down 6,200), construction (down 3,700), leisure and hospitality (down 2,000), trade, transportation and utilities (down 1,900), financial activities (down 1,000), information (down 700), education and health services (down 700), government (down 300), and logging and mining (down 200).

Over the past 12 months, education and health services gained 16,200 jobs in the state, while government added 2,100 positions.

Year-over-year job losses have occurred in professional and business services (down 32,500), manufacturing (down 30,200), construction (down 20,600), trade, transportation and utilities (down 17,700), leisure and hospitality (down 11,400), other services (down 1,300), information (down 1,300), financial activities (down 1,100), and logging and mining (down 300).

In the state's Metropolitan Statistical Areas, job losses occurred in the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA (down 3.6 percent), Duluth-Superior MSA (down 2.7 percent), Rochester MSA (down 0.6 percent) and St. Cloud MSA (down 1.9 percent). Data for the Fargo-Moorhead MSA and the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks MSA will be available when the information is released in North Dakota .

House panel advances primary seat belt bill

Posted at 11:27 AM on April 16, 2009 by Tim Pugmire (3 Comments)

A Minnesota House panel has approved a bill that would allow police to stop vehicles solely for seat belt violations.

The measure would make failure to wear a seat belt a primary offense, and would apply to anyone in a vehicle. Members of the Public Safety Finance Division advanced the bill today on a voice vote. Rep. Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, says the legislation will save lives, prevent injuries and save money.

"It will reduce costs to the state through Medicaid, Medicare and hospital charges," Norton said. "We serve to gain $3.4 million in federal funds if and only if we pass it by July 30, 2009. That money disappears after this year. So, that's a one- time federal input of funds we can take advantage of."

Norton says discussions continue with law enforcement agencies to make sure a primary seat belt law would not result in racial profiling. The bill's next stop is the House Finance Committee.

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