Each September, Minnesota joins other states across the country to recognize the contributions of workforce professionals who play a vital role in meeting the needs of the state’s job seekers and employers – and keep Minnesota at the top.

By a host of jobs and economic growth measures, Minnesota is thriving. We’ve reached 2,976,500 million total jobs for the first time in history and added 316,800 new jobs since 2011. Wages increased by 17 percent since 2011. The wage gap between men and women has been reduced by 2.1 Percent. An $11.4 million investment was targeted to narrowing skills gaps.

Minnesota has been ranked among the top five states for business the past three years – based on 66 measures of competitiveness (CNBC, America’s Top States for Business, 2015-2017). In fact, Minnesota finishes among the top 10 states in more than 40 national rankings that include workforce, education and quality of life.

Minnesota is home to nearly 173,500 businesses that employ 2.8 people.

Minnesota is committed to building an economy that works for all Minnesotans and to ensuring businesses have the skilled workforce and talent pipeline needed to thrive.

DEED remains focused on improving racial equity and eliminating economic disparities. 

The Emerging Entrepreneur Loan Program, since its inception in 2016, has awarded $3.6 million to non-profit lenders across the state, who have provided capital for 73 businesses owned by people of color, women, people with disabilities, veterans and/ or low-income individuals.

DEED and its partners provide a broad range of workforce resources, programs and services for adults and youth as well as for businesses. Here are some key workforce development resources, programs and successes from DEED:

• A network of 49 WorkForce Centers across the state are staffed by experienced professionals. More than 80,000 job seekers visited a WorkForce Center in 2017.
• Employment-related workshops, classes and hands-on training are provided by DEED and its partners. Over 33,000 attendees took part in these opportunities in 2017.
• A no-fee online job bank – MinnesotaWorks.net – grew in 2017 despite the state’s low unemployment rate. Nearly 83,578 job seekers created new accounts and conducted more than 2.3 million searches. Over 94,682 employers use MinnesotaWorks.net to fill their job openings – and posted 688,344 jobs throughout 2017. Employers and job seekers together conducted an average of 6,993 searches each day at www.MinnesotaWorks.net. And employers report their satisfaction. In 2017, 86 percent of employers posted one or more job openings on MinnesotaWorks.net, and 95 percent would recommend this site to colleagues.
• The Labor Market Information Office gained a better understanding of racial disparities in Minnesota’s labor market. Analysis is available on wage and employment disparities in Minnesota, diversity by industry, diversity in Greater Minnesota, diversity in Minnesota’s construction industry, minority-owned businesses in Minnesota and racial disparities in employment after graduation. Better access to information on regional labor markets – comprehensive regional profiles, blogs, links to articles and data tools – is available, too.
• The Office of Economic Equity and Opportunity facilitated in the awarding of $10 million in equity and capacity-building grants to help communities of color, women, people with disabilities, veterans and youth. OEEO adopted practices to ensure equitable access to the training and resources Minnesotans need to find good jobs, and start or expand businesses.
• A range of training and apprenticeship programs, such as the Minnesota Apprenticeship Initiative Grant, to help individuals develop in-demand skills. One goal? Develop apprenticeship programs to recruit, train and retain 1,000 new apprentices in 30 occupations.

Find out more about the workforce development services and resources DEED offers job seekers and employers.

Contact your local WorkForce Center about popular workshops regularly offered.

Check back often as DEED highlights the importance of workforce development and shares success stories through our blog, MinnesotaWorks.net.

Here are workforce development initiatives other states are featuring this month.