WASHINGTON – June’s data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady in June, remaining far behind all of its neighbors.
Minnesota’s 3.7 percent seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ranks tied for 16th among all states, but is a half percent or more behind all of its neighboring states. The state added 4,400 jobs, seasonally adjusted, in June according to a press release from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Iowa and South Dakota both saw their unemployment rates increase 0.1 percent, but they settled at 3.2 and three percent respectively. Wisconsin held steady at 3.1 percent, while North Dakota’s rate decreased 0.2 percent. North Dakota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.5 percent is now tied with Colorado for the lowest mark in the nation.
Year over year also saw Minnesota beat out by almost all of it’s neighbors. While the land of ten thousand lakes saw its unemployment rate fall 0.2 percent from June of last year, all its neighbors save South Dakota saw bigger gains. Iowa’s rate dropped from 3.8 percent to 3.2 percent, and North Dakota dropped from 3.2 percent to 2.3 percent.
Wisconsin started last year with a higher rate than Minnesota, at 4.2 percent. Since then, the Badger State’s rate has dropped 1.1 percent, to settle at 3.1 percent. This is tied for the eighth largest change for a state, compared to Minnesota’s 0.2 percent improvement which is tied with Arizona, Connecticut, and Maryland for 37th in the country. Only six states saw increase in their seasonally adjusted employment rate.
North Dakota was the only state of the bunch to see an increase in its seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, climbing from 2.8 percent to 3.0 percent.
The United States had a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.4 percent in June, unchanged from May and still behind Minnesota’s rate. However, the 0.5 percent nationwide drop in the rate in the last twelve months is still better than the same mark for Minnesota.
