Minnesota Unemployment Rate Drops for First Time Since May ’08
On the heels of the positive developments in South Dakota, which also saw its unemployment rate drop in April, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced on Thursday morning that the Gopher State’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 8.1 percent.
The slight employment rebound in April ends a streak of 10 consecutive months in which the state’s unemployment rate increased or remained flat – a streak which saw the jobless rate rise 2.9 points, from 5.3 to 8.2 percent, or an increase of 54.7 percent.
Minnesota’s unemployment rate is now 0.8 points lower than the national rate of 8.9 percent. This is tied for the second largest differential in the state vs. national rate – in Minnesota’s favor – dating back 40 months to December 2005.
Minnesota ended a streak last month in which the Gopher State had a higher jobless rate than Wisconsin for 18 consecutive months. With Wisconsin’s unemployment rate increasing to 8.6 percent in April, Minnesota now has a half-a-point lower rate of jobless claims than the Badger State – the largest such difference since September 2006.
Despite the good news announced today, the Gopher State’s unemployment rate is still up 50 percent from one year ago, when seasonally adjusted jobless claims rested at 5.4 percent.
Minnesota Unemployment Rate, January 2008 – April 2009
|
Month
|
Rate
|
Net Month
|
% Month
|
Net 12 Month
|
% 12 Month
|
|
01-08
|
4.8
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.3
|
6.7
|
|
02-08
|
5.0
|
0.2
|
4.2
|
0.4
|
8.7
|
|
03-08
|
5.1
|
0.1
|
2.0
|
0.5
|
10.9
|
|
04-08
|
5.4
|
0.3
|
5.9
|
0.7
|
14.9
|
|
05-08
|
5.3
|
-0.1
|
-1.9
|
0.7
|
15.2
|
|
06-08
|
5.3
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.8
|
17.8
|
|
07-08
|
5.4
|
0.1
|
1.9
|
0.9
|
20.0
|
|
08-08
|
5.4
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.8
|
17.4
|
|
09-08
|
5.4
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.7
|
14.9
|
|
10-08
|
5.6
|
0.2
|
3.7
|
0.9
|
19.1
|
|
11-08
|
6.1
|
0.5
|
8.9
|
1.5
|
32.6
|
|
12-08
|
6.6
|
0.5
|
8.2
|
1.8
|
37.5
|
|
01-09
|
7.5
|
1.0
|
13.6
|
2.7
|
56.3
|
|
02-09
|
8.0
|
0.5
|
6.7
|
3.0
|
60.0
|
|
03-09
|
8.2
|
0.2
|
2.5
|
3.1
|
60.8
|
|
04-09
|
8.1
|
-0.1
|
-1.2
|
2.7
|
50.0
|
Note: Data from Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics compiled by Smart Politics.
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Send this to Governor Pawlenty at:
budgetideas@state.mn.us
Please copy and paste the following text into the body of your email.
Governor Pawlenty:
Governor, please immediately unallot my tax dollars for Ethanol Subsidies! By removing the remaining “Ethanol Subsidies” under the fiscal 2009 budget of $8,363,000 and the $12,168,000 scheduled for 2010 and the additional $12,168,000 for 2011, for a total saving of $32,699,000 kept in the 2009-2011 budgets todate! Then also end the $19,790,000 still scheduled for fiscal 2012-2013. For all this money only goes to the “Ethanol Plants” that enjoyed the best of times and for the last five years have sent out over $100 million annually to their invester in the form of dividends!!!!!!! This will make a total savings of $53 million, available for “Government Agencies and People” who really need help! Thank You for your leadership
—Signed —–
http://www.congressionalchange.com
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