Minn. economy adds 6,800 jobs in July
by Martin Moylan, Minnesota Public RadioST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota employers added an estimated 6,800 jobs in July, but the state's unemployment rate climbed slightly to 5.8 percent.
That's still well below the U.S. rate of 8.3 percent.
"We're seeing an economy that's getting its footing. It's starting to add jobs. It's adding jobs in a sustainable fashion. But there's still a lot of weakness out there and that's why we're seeing these adjustments, for instance, in the unemployment rate," said Kyle Uphoff, an analyst with the state's Labor Market Information Office.
The monthly unemployment and jobs statistics are derived from separate surveys of households and employers. State officials say they can appear contradictory within any given month, but tend to be in agreement over the longer term.
Last month, professional and business services, government and manufacturing were among the leading job gainers. The sectors showing losses included the leisure and hospitality industry and construction.
