Report Shows Minnesota Still Needs More Workers

ST. PAUL (WJON News) - New data released Friday show there are two open jobs for every unemployed worker in Minnesota.

The Job Vacancy Survey is taken twice a year, and today’s results, released by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, show continued demand for workers.

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Takeaways from the report:

• The 184,588 open jobs translate to a job vacancy rate of 6.9%, or almost seven job openings for every 100 filled jobs statewide. That’s down from 8% a year ago, but still the third-highest rate ever reported.
• The number of unemployed also dropped. With more than 72,500 unemployed in the state, there’s less than a half person available for every open job in Minnesota.
• The JVS results show the Health Care and Social Assistance industry had the most job vacancies (more than 45,000 openings), followed by Retail Trade (28,500), Accommodation and Food Service (26,000), and Manufacturing (19,000).

The top ten occupations with the highest number of vacancies:

• Personal Health Care Aides (7,798 vacancies),
• Retail Sales (6,241),
• First-line Supervisors of Food Prep and Serving Workers (5,975),
• First-line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers (5,975)
• Registered Nurses (5,625),
• Cashiers (5,535),
• Fast-food and Counter Workers (4,756),
• Nursing Assistants (4,418),
• Waiters and Waitresses (3,615),
• Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners (3,263).

Governor Walz has recommended investing $30 million over the next few years in the ‘Drive For Five’ Workforce Fund. The initiative will focus on preparing workers to enter the five most critical occupational categories in the state.

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