DEED: State adds 12,200 jobs in August, hits pre-recession levels

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) says the state added 12,200 jobs in August, bringing Minnesota back to employment levels not seen since the onset of the economic downturn in the fall of 2008.

“Minnesota has now recovered all the jobs that were lost in the recession, eclipsing the February 2008 mark by 5,100 jobs,” according to a release from DEED. “The state has added 63,100 jobs in the past year, a 2.3 percent growth rate that exceeds the national rate of 1.7 percent.”

In addition, the state unemployment rate dropped to 5.1 percent in August, compared to the U.S. unemployment rate of 7.3 percent. Trade, transportation and utilities gained about 6,000 jobs last month, while education and health care were a close second with 5,500 jobs gained. Construction, hospitality and government also made gains, while manufacturing shed 3,400 jobs last month, followed by professional business services, which lost 1,100 jobs, and 900 jobs lost in information services.

“August’s employment numbers mark a major milestone in the recovery of Minnesota’s economy,” DEED Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben said in a statement “We’ve now recovered all of the jobs lost during the recession, which is one of many positive indicators pointing to continued economic growth.”