Scott County's Unemployment Falls Slightly

Scott County’s unemployment decreased slightly as 98 jobs were added in May.

The county’s unemployment rate was 4.7 percent, according to Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development.

The unemployment level remains 0.9 percent down from the 5.6 percent reported in May 2011. It is even lower than the 4.8 percent reported in April 2012, which had been the lowest level reported for the county since October 2008.

In May 3,480 of the county’s 74,351 strong labor force was unemployed.

Scott County’s unemployment rate was 0.5 percent less than the statewide rate of 5.2 percent. Nationwide the rate was 7.9 percent. These figures are not seasonally adjusted. 

Minnesota’s unemployment rate shrunk 0.1 percent from April to May while the nationwide rate grew 0.2 percent. 

Overall Minnesota lost 900 jobs in May and 155,362 Minnesotans remain unemployed. 

“May’s economic situation for Minnesota showed a further decline in jobs as employment fell 900,” said Rachel Vilsack, coordinator of special projects for the Labor Market Information Office at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. 

“There are positive indicators of our economic conditions,” Vilsack said, "including seasonally adjusted new claims for unemployment are at a post-recessionary low, and online job postings as measured by the Conference Board’s HWOL (Help Wanted Online) index remain high relative to pre-recessionary levels.” 

The following sectors of the economy saw the highest job losses in May: professional and business services (1,600 jobs) and information (1,100 jobs). Other sectors that lost jobs included leisure and hospitality (700 jobs), other services (500 jobs) and financial activities (400 jobs).  

Despite the May losses in the business and professional services, Vilsack notes that employment in that sector is still up 2.5 percent over last year. 

These losses were somewhat mitigated by gains in government (200 more jobs), manufacturing (900 more jobs), construction (800 more jobs), education and health services (300 more jobs), and trade, transportation and utilities (200 more jobs).

The has had some reductions in staffing while the Minnesota River Valley Special Education Cooperative has had additions of teachers and programs, said Executive Director Darren Kermes. Shakopee school district is a member of both cooperatives.

“We’re fortunate in Carver and Scott counties to continue to have student growth,” Kermes said.

The cooperatives have also benefitted from the American Recovery and Re-investment Act, the stimulus bill President Obama signed in 2009.

Said Kermes, “The reductions weren’t as great as they would have been had we not had those funds.”

The mining and logging sector saw no changes either way.