Minnesota has regained 81,400 jobs since the recovery began-representing more than half of the 156,300 jobs that were lost during the recession.
Economy
Wellesley, Massachusetts-based Stream Global Services already has some corporate staff members-including its CEO-working out of a temporary Bloomington office.
The Shakopee amusement park-which is open from May through October-hires about the same number of people on a seasonal basis every year.
Minnesota companies sent $702 million worth of products to South Korea last year, and the state now stands to benefit from a free trade agreement that will eliminate most tariffs on goods exported there.
The Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce, which advocates for the interests of businesses in the northern metro area, described the process of selecting a site for a new Vikings stadium as "unorthodox, unfair, and convoluted."
The City of Minneapolis released data that show signs of economic recovery in the city; trends include a decline in the rate of unemployment, an increase in construction volume, and a decrease in the number of foreclosures.
Longtime State Demographer Tom Gillaspy will be succeeded by Susan Brower, who served as research associate for the Wilder Foundation before joining the state demographer's staff last summer.
The state's employment-driven by the private sector-continued to grow in January; still, government jobs continued their decline, and some of the drop in unemployment may be attributed to decreased labor force participation.
The Minneapolis Downtown Council said that Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein will join the organization as its new president and CEO; Stenglein will succeed longtime leader Sam Grabarski, who is retiring.
A just-released state report shows that Minnesota employers reported 49,900 job openings during the fourth quarter of 2011, about 53 percent of which were for full-time, permanent positions.
The southwest Twin Cities suburb will have three companies-Imagine! Print Solutions, SanMar Corporation, and Trystar-constructing facilities in the near future, which will bring in hundreds of jobs.
Interest in the tax credit appears to be strong this year as well; $1.7 million of the $12 million available for 2012 has already been allocated.
A planned 38,000-square-foot supermarket will anchor 222 Hennepin-a $70 million mixed-use development at the corner of Hennepin and Washington avenues; roughly 150 employees will be hired in connection with the new store opening.
The company plans to open an additional 100 restaurants within the country by the end of this year.
Twin Cities Business' Quarterly Economic Indicator survey found that, compared to the previous quarter, more Minnesota businesses expect to hire, invest in infrastructure, and raise prices during the first quarter of 2012.
The governor appears to favor the Linden Avenue site near the Basilica of St. Mary, although he believes all three of the front-runner proposals have problems that could prevent a stadium proposal from receiving legislative approval this year.
Minnesota's unemployment rate dropped another 0.2 percent in December to reach 5.7 percent, as the state added 7,900 jobs.
R.T. Rybak discusses the past 10 years he's served as Minneapolis mayor in an exclusive interview with TCB Editor In Chief Dale Kurschner.