Minnesota Job Vacancies Fell Nearly 25% Early In The Pandemic

From the Minnesota Reformer:

By Rilyn Eischens

October 28, 2020

The number of open jobs in Minnesota declined nearly 25% during the early months of the pandemic, according to data released Wednesday by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

That means there were 111,753 job vacancies from April to June this year, down from 146,513 during the same period in 2019, indicating tough times for workers. There were 2.4 unemployed workers for every open job — the highest rate since 2012, according to DEED.

The number of full-time vacancies decreased more than part-time vacancies. Part-time job openings dropped roughly 17% from 2019, compared to nearly 28% for full-time job openings.

This spring, the health care, retail and food services industries had the most open jobs, accounting for more than half the vacant positions. Health care workers were let go as hospitals and clinics were barred from performing non-essential procedures, which has since been reversed.

The state is currently collecting information for the second job vacancy report for 2020, which will cover October, November and December.

In September, Minnesota’s unemployment rate fell to 6%, down from 7.4% in August — but the decline may not have been cause for celebration, as it was caused in part by a drop in the state’s labor force participation rate. Meaning people had stopped looking for work, which means they no longer counted as “unemployed.”

Roughly 56,000 Minnesotans left the workforce in September, and the state’s labor force participation rate reached its lowest point in over 40 years. More than 182,000 Minnesotans were jobless.

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..