Minnesota
Minnesota down 3,200 net jobs in June, unemployment ticks up to 2.9%
Minnesota lost 3,200 jobs from in June on a seasonally adjusted basis, and the state’s unemployment rate ticked up one-tenth of a percentage point to 2.9%, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development said in news release Thursday. The state’s private sector lost 3,300 jobs.
It’s the second month in a row the state has seen a net job loss. In May, the state lost 8,600 jobs, but gained 3,900 jobs in April. Minnesota has added jobs eight of the last 12 months.
The state’s labor force declined by more than 3,100 people, bringing the labor force participation rate down two-tenths of a percentage point to 67.8%. This measures the number of people either working or actively seeking work, and is used to calculate the headline unemployment rate.
“We closely monitor job and labor force growth and we continue to believe that job growth, particularly in certain sectors, is constrained by a lack of available workers with necessary skills,” DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in the news release. “That’s why DEED and our agency partners are focused on innovative initiatives to help connect Minnesotans looking for work with in-demand employment.”
The state’s data compare with a national unemployment rate of 4.1% in June, up one-tenth of a percentage point, and a labor force participation rate of 62.6%.
Over the month, areas that gained jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis included Education & Health Services, up 4,500 jobs, and Construction, up 300 jobs.
Losing jobs were Professional & Business Services, down 3,000 jobs, Leisure & Hospitality, down 2,100 jobs, and Manufacturing, down 1,600 jobs.
Wages in Minnesota again outpaced inflation, with average hourly wages for all private sector workers increasing $2.02, or 5.7%, over the year. The Consumer Price Index, a common measure of inflation, rose 3% over the year, meaning wages increased almost twice as fast as inflation.
Among broader measures of unemployment, the broadest, called the U-6, was at 5.7%, up from 5.4% in May, according to DEED. This takes into account those who have voluntarily dropped out of the labor force and are no longer looking for work, along with those marginally employed and those working part-time but seeking full-time work.
Originally Published:
The Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly trading three-time All-Star Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team trade that sends Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls.
Minnesota is sending the 28th pick to the Nets and will be receiving the No. 33 pick that will be made in the second round on Wednesday night, according to a person who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not received the required approvals from the league office.
For Minnesota, the trade opens up a slew of financial possibilities. It creates a $33 million trade exception, plus gives the Timberwolves room they can use to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu and target more players in free agency.
Randle, a three-time All-Star, will be moving to his fifth team after stints with New York, the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans and the Timberwolves. He averaged 21.1 points this past season, though shot just 39% from the field and 24% from 3-point range in Minnesota’s 12 playoff contests.
Claxton just finished his seventh NBA season, all with Brooklyn. He averaged 11.7 points this past season.
The 2026 NBA Draft begins Tuesday night.
At Senator Westrom’s St. Paul office, visitors are greeted by the classic Minnesota state flag, which the DFL leaders should not have taken away from Minnesotans.
However, local communities have the authority to keep flying it, like many have done, and Senator Westrom encourages communities interested in keeping it to do so.
News-Tribune, June 22, 1926
More Duluthians cast votes in yesterday’s primary election than in any primary in the city’s history. Statewide, the “wets” had their day, with M.J. Maas of St. Paul, a “light wine and beer” candidate, appearing victorious in the 4th Congressional District, and W.A. Pittenger of Duluth, similarly regarded as a “wet,” taking a commanding lead in the 8th.
News-Tribune, June 22, 1956
Following the deaths of a pilot and eight civilians in a crash in a residential area near Wold Chamberlain Field in Minneapolis, Duluth Mayor Eugene Lambert filed a request with the U.S. Air Force and Navy that jet training operations be transferred to Duluth, where congestion is less of a problem.
News-Tribune, June 22, 1976
Ralph Nader named Duluth environmentalist Arlene Lehto one of America’s five “unsung heroines” for her contributions to pollution abatement. Lehto in 1969 organized the Save Lake Superior Association to fight pollution in the lake.
News Tribune, June 22, 2006
Duluth City Councilor Russ Stewart will present an ordinance to the council that extends the city’s existing standards for adult bookstores to adult entertainment. The move would allow the 62-year-old Club Saratoga to continue operation in the face of a state law prohibiting strip clubs within 500 feet of a residence or within 2,800 feet of churches and schools.
Barrett Chase has been web editor for the News Tribune since 2015. You can email him at bchase@duluthnews.com or call him at 218-723-5310.
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