Minnesota adds 8,700 workers to labor force; participation rate rises to 68.2%

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – More than 8,700 workers entered the Minnesota job market in May, according to a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development employment report.

The worker gains increased the state’s labor force participation rate by a tenth of a percent, 0.1%, to 68.2%. The unemployment rate also rose a tenth of a percent to 2.9%.

The agency said, over the last three months, more than 13,000 Minnesotans have been added to the labor force; the largest three-month gain since January to March of 2022. 

However, the agency said, the total labor force is still more than 32,000 workers smaller than February 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minnesota’s interim DEED commissioner, Kevin McKinnon, said the growing labor force is a sign of a strong Minnesota economy.

McKinnon also said: “Employers constantly tell us that they need more workers to fill their open roles. Now, we’ve seen back-to-back months during which more workers are pursuing jobs around the state.”

As a state, Minnesota is doing better than the U.S. national unemployment rate of 3.7% and is nearly 6% higher than the national labor force participation rate of 62.6%.