Minnesota employers added 2,600 jobs in March, according to figures released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
The gains, offset partially by revised figures showing the state lost 1,100 more jobs than originally reported in February, brought job growth in Minnesota over the past year to 41,582.
State jobs have grown 1.5 percent since March 2013, compared with U.S. job growth of 1.6 percent during that period.
The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.8 percent, well below the U.S. rate of 6.7 percent.
Minnesota’s labor force surpassed the 3 million mark for the first time in state history in March, while the state labor force participation rate climbed 0.1 percent to 70.6 percent.
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Professional and business services led all sectors last month with 3,500 new jobs. Other sectors that gained jobs were construction (up 2,700), financial activities (up 1,200), government (up 1,000), information (up 400), manufacturing (up 200) and logging and mining (up 100).
Sectors that lost jobs last month were leisure and hospitality (down 2,700), transportation and utilities (down 2,300), education and health services (down 1,000) and other services (down 500).
Over the past year, education and health services has added 11,515 jobs.
Other sectors that have gained jobs in the past year are construction (up 9,163), manufacturing (up 6,192), professional and business services (up 5,521), trade, transportation and utilities (up 5,363), other services (up 2,417), leisure and hospitality (up 1,303), information (up 415), government (up 220) and logging and mining (up 110).
Financial activities was the only sector to lose jobs in the past year, down 637 positions.
