/deed/newscenter/publications/trends/september-2025/jvs.jspA new survey conducted by DEED, in partnership with workforce development organizations across Minnesota, is helping fill a gap in labor market information by sharing their experience of assisting people in finding jobs. Forty-two job counselors who help job seekers find employment in Central Minnesota from DEED, Central Minnesota Jobs and Training and Career Solutions, and other organizations shared their insights in the most recent survey, which was completed in July. More than 300 responses were received statewide. This blog is a first in a series that will highlight various components of the survey.

Participants were encouraged to share their experiences candidly, creating a /deed/data/data-tools/job-search-experience/index.jspnovel dataset that offers a timely and unique perspective on Minnesota's labor market. The results are intended to complement other major economic datasets and will be shared with partners twice per year.

Counselor Insights

When asked how easy it was for job seekers to get hired compared to a year ago, counselors in Central Minnesota largely echoed statewide trends: it's slightly harder for most job seekers to find employment than it was a year earlier. However, the regional responses suggest the labor market remains somewhat more favorable for job seekers in Central Minnesota than statewide.

A smaller share of counselors in the region said their clients are finding it "much harder" to get hired compared to a year ago. Yet fewer also said it's "somewhat easier." The biggest gap was among those who said it's "about the same" as last year, while a modest share said it's "somewhat harder" (see Figure 1).

The insights shared by job counselors generally align with what other economic datasets show in 2025. Despite market volatility and headlines about "uncertainty," the lived experience for job seekers is only slightly tougher than a year ago, showing only a minor downturn. From January through August, Central Minnesota's unemployment rate averaged 4.3%, up from 3.8% during the same period last year, a 12% increase. That modest rise makes it "somewhat harder" to find a job, but far from a gloomy labor market.

For perspective, the unemployment rate for the same period in 2019 was 4.0%, near the end of the longest economic expansion in U.S. history and one of the strongest job markets most people had ever seen. Perceptions, however, are shaped by recency. In the aftermath of the Pandemic Recession, employers faced an all-out scramble to hire. The labor market of 2022–2023 was historically tight – unsustainably so. As conditions normalize, the return to balance can feel uneasy, even if it signals a healthier, more stable job market ahead.

For more information about the job market in Central Minnesota, contact Luke Greiner at Luke.Greiner@state.mn.us.