Minnesota Unemployment Dips To 6.6% In March

ST. PAUL (AP) -- New figures show Minnesota unemployment edged down a tenth of a percentage point to a seasonally adjusted 6.6 percent in March.

That compares with a national rate of 8.8 percent for march.

Figures released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development show the state gained 2,800 jobs in March, while February's gains were revised upward by 300 to 1,600 new jobs. The number of jobs in Minnesota has grown by 0.8 percent over the past year, slightly lagging the national rate of 1 percent.

Commissioner Mark Phillips says the March figures reflect continuing slow but steady progress in the Minnesota labor market.

Leisure and hospitality led all sectors during the month, adding 1,900 jobs. The largest losses were 1,200 in professional and business services.