Southeast Minnesota is a health care and agricultural powerhouse. The region is home to the renowned Mayo Clinic and some of the world's most recognized food companies and brands.
Advanced manufacturing is especially strong here, with machinery, chemicals, and electronics among the top products.
Want the freshest data delivered by email? Subscribe to our regional newsletters.
12/23/2024 2:22:10 PM
Amanda Blaschko
The Transportation & Warehousing sector serves as a crucial backbone of Southeast Minnesota's economy. This industry connects local manufacturers, agricultural producers, and businesses to regional and national markets while ensuring efficient movement of goods and people throughout the region. The sector's scope includes Truck Transportation, Warehousing & Storage Facilities, Courier Services, Pipeline Operations, and Public Transportation Systems, each playing a distinct role in maintaining the region's economic vitality and connectivity. With Employment Projections indicating an 8.9% growth in industry jobs through 2032—nearly double the expected growth rate across all industries—the sector's importance to the regional economy continues to expand.
| Table 1. Industry Employment Statistics in Southeast Minnesota | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Annual Data | 2022-2023 | 2019-2023 | ||||||
| NAICS Industry Title | Number of Firms | Number of Jobs | Total Payroll | Avg. Annual Wages | Change in Jobs | Percent Change | Change in Jobs | Percent Change |
| Total, All Industries | 13,603 | 244,024 | $15,470,512,473 | $1,219 | +3,845 | +1.6% | -2,784 | -1.1% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 611 | 7,830 | $449,797,161 | $1,105 | -80 | -1.0% | +72 | +0.9% |
| Truck Transportation | 342 | 2,601 | $168,414,459 | $1,245 | -183 | -6.6% | -175 | -6.3% |
| Transit & Passenger Transportation | 74 | 1,544 | $46,103,204 | $573 | -10 | -0.6% | -300 | -16.3% |
| Warehousing & Storage | 29 | 1,461 | $92,982,870 | $1,224 | +77 | +5.6% | +225 | +18.2% |
| Couriers & Messengers | 23 | 675 | $36,610,074 | $1,041 | -46 | -6.4% | +94 | +16.2% |
| Support Activities for Transportation | 36 | 501 | $29,734,349 | $1,141 | +156 | +45.2% | +152 | +43.6% |
| Pipeline Transportation | 4 | 22 | $2,857,796 | $2,493 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Air Transportation | 4 | 6 | $238,090 | $772 | -4 | -40.0% | -20 | -76.9% |
| Source: Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages | ||||||||
Data from Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages shows that Southeast Minnesota's Transportation & Warehousing sector has nearly 8,000 jobs across more than 600 firms, generating an annual payroll of approximately $450 million. While this number is modest compared to the Twin Cities metro area's 77,824 jobs, it aligns closely with other greater Minnesota regions such as Southwest (6,939) and Northwest (6,060). Despite recent job losses, the region shows particular strength in Truck Transportation, with 2,601 jobs, and Warehousing & Storage, which has seen remarkable growth of 18.2% over the past five years. Support Activities for Transportation have experienced the most dramatic expansion, growing by 43.6% over five years, indicating increasing sophistication in supply chain operations.
The Transportation & Warehousing industry's economic role are reflected in its strong growth projections, with an anticipated addition of 640 new jobs from 2022 to 2032—an 8.9% increase that significantly outpaces the 4.5% growth expected across all industries.
At the occupational level, the broader Transportation & Material Moving occupational group also shows robust growth, projecting 1,323 new jobs by 2023, a 6.5% increase, with total openings reaching 27,730 during this period. The strongest job growth is expected in three key occupations:
Additional job creation will come from:
Among all Transportation & Material Moving occupations, only Hand Packers & Packagers are projected to see a decline, with an expected decrease of 82 jobs (10.1%) by 2032. Despite the projected decline of 82 jobs (-10.1%) by 2032 in the Hand Packers & Packagers occupation, employers are still expected to make approximately 1,000 total hires during this period.
| Table 2. Southeast Minnesota Employment Projections, 2022-2032 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupation | 2022 Estimated Employment | 2032 Projected Employment | 2022-2032 Percent Change | 2022-2032 Total Job Growth | 2022-2032 Labor Force Exit Openings | 2022-2032 Occupational Transfer Openings | 2022-2032 Total Hires |
| Transportation & Material Moving Occupations | 20,329 | 21,652 | +6.5% | +1,323 | +11,529 | +15,150 | +27,732 |
| Stockers & Order Fillers | 3,612 | 3,945 | +9.2% | +333 | +2,351 | +3,699 | +6,383 |
| Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material Movers, Hand | 4,633 | 4,940 | +6.6% | +307 | +2,286 | +3,890 | +6,483 |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 4,463 | 4,680 | +4.9% | +217 | +2,070 | +2,678 | +4,965 |
| Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers | 1,422 | 1,529 | +7.5% | +107 | +668 | +864 | +1,639 |
| Bus Drivers, School | 927 | 1,007 | +8.6% | +80 | +1,023 | +443 | +1,546 |
| Industrial Truck & Tractor Operators | 781 | 846 | +8.3% | +65 | +261 | +520 | +846 |
| Driver/Sales Workers | 643 | 704 | +9.5% | +61 | +305 | +395 | +761 |
| Shuttle Drivers & Chauffeurs | 571 | 625 | +9.5% | +54 | +512 | +301 | +867 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Transportation & Material Movers | 662 | 713 | +7.7% | +51 | +233 | +450 | +734 |
| Cleaners of Vehicles & Equipment | 466 | 491 | +5.4% | +25 | +259 | +370 | +654 |
| Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other | 236 | 254 | +7.6% | +18 | +211 | +146 | +375 |
| Bus Drivers, Transit & Intercity | 201 | 218 | +8.5% | +17 | +167 | +98 | +282 |
| Refuse & Recyclable Material Collectors | 188 | 202 | +7.4% | +14 | +89 | +149 | +252 |
| Machine Feeders & Offbearers | 56 | 62 | +10.7% | +6 | +46 | +45 | +97 |
| Material Moving Workers, All Other | 87 | 91 | +4.6% | +4 | +44 | +59 | +107 |
| Automotive & Watercraft Service Attendants | 58 | 61 | +5.2% | +3 | +31 | +55 | +89 |
| Locomotive Engineers | 40 | 42 | +5.0% | +2 | +12 | +20 | +34 |
| Commercial Pilots | 30 | 31 | +3.3% | +1 | +11 | +24 | +36 |
| Crane & Tower Operators | 17 | 18 | +5.9% | +1 | +6 | +10 | +17 |
| Bridge & Lock Tenders | 44 | 45 | +2.3% | +1 | +17 | +29 | +47 |
| Conveyor Operators & Tenders | 45 | 46 | +2.2% | +1 | +17 | +28 | +46 |
| Parking Lot Attendants | 97 | 98 | +1.0% | +1 | +53 | +86 | +140 |
| Packers & Packagers, Hand | 810 | 728 | -10.1% | -82 | +462 | +635 | +1,015 |
| Source: DEED 2022-2032 Employment Projections | |||||||
The Transportation & Warehousing industry in Southeast Minnesota continues to grow and change to meet the region's needs. With projections to need thousands more workers in the next decade, the transportation field offers many opportunities for local jobseekers.
Contact Amanda Blaschko, Labor Market Analyst, at amanda.blaschko@state.mn.us.
