Rochester Job Growth Hits 6.1%, Best in Minnesota

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The latest employment statistics issued by the State of Minnesota continue to show that the Rochester area is leading the state in job growth.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has released data from November. The report shows that, compared to November 2024, the number of jobs in the Rochester area grew by nearly 7,850. That equates to an annualized job growth rate of 6.1%.

Rochester Leads the State

The Mankato area recorded the second-strongest job growth in the state at 3.5%, with the addition of about 2,000 jobs. The job growth rate for the Twin Cities area was just under 1%, while employment in the Duluth area was nearly steady. St. Cloud saw a modest decline in employment, with a negative job growth rate of 0.4%.

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The report shows the job growth rate for the entire state of Minnesota was 1.3% from November 2024 through November, representing a gain of about 40,700 jobs. The annualized job growth rate for the entire country during that period was just 0.5%.

Statewide Unemployment Moves Higher

The state also reported a net gain of about 8,900 jobs statewide from September through November. Officials noted that month-to-month comparisons with October are not available due to the partial federal government shutdown that occurred last fall.

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Minnesota’s labor force grew by about 8,500 people, boosting the state’s labor force participation rate to 68.2%. Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points from September to 4% in November. The statewide unemployment rate in November 2024 was 3%.