December 2025 - Minnesota Economic Trends
In this issue writers examine the High-Quality Jobs Framework and the benefits of implementing job quality efforts, the gender divide in trades careers, small business contributions to Minnesota’s economy and the shifting demographics of Minnesota’s workforce.
Careers in the Trades: A Tale of Two Genders
Careers in the trades are becoming more popular among high school students thanks to their affordability. However, as shown by the earnings outcomes of trades-related educational programs, well-paying jobs in the trades are significantly more accessible to men than to women.
The Measure of a High-Quality Job
In a tight and changing labor market, job quality is becoming a competitive advantage. This article describes the Governors Workforce Development Board’s High-Quality Jobs Framework and explains how implementing job quality efforts can help employers attract and retain workers while strengthening Minnesota’s long-term workforce.
Small Shops Shaping Minnesota
Small businesses, defined here as those firms with fewer than 20 employees, are the foundation of Minnesota’s economy. In 2023, these firms represented nearly 89% of all establishments and employed 17.8% of the state’s workforce.
Minnesota’s Workforce Since the Pandemic: More Diverse, More Female, More Self-Employed
Minnesota has added a net gain of just over 20,000 jobs since the pandemic, but the composition of the workforce holding those jobs has shifted substantially. Workers of color drove all employment gains while white workers declined; women now outpace men in employment rates for the first time in modern history; teenagers and seniors surged back into the workforce; and self-employment exploded among young adults.