Unemployment Rate Jumps for the St. Cloud Metro Area

UNDATED - The unemployment rate for the St. Cloud Metro area is up over the past two months.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development says the unemployment rate is now at 4.9 percent. That's up from the 3.8 percent we had back in December.

It is typical for the unemployment rate to increase in the first few months of the year. However, the local unemployment rate is higher than the statewide average of 3.7 percent. And, we're closer to the national unemployment rate of 5.5 percent.