Minnesota's manufacturers are having a difficult time finding qualified workers to fill open positions; meanwhile, there has been an uptick in demand for IT workers in Minnesota and across the country, according to several recent reports.
Workforce + Talent
A new report estimates that the state's employees suffered 76,700 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses last year, representing about 3.9 injuries per 100 full-time workers.
The state shed about 7,400 jobs in September, but Minnesota employers have added 27,700 jobs in the past year, and the unemployment rate dropped 0.3 percent.
The Minneapolis Convention Center is reportedly cutting about half of its supervisors and transitioning about two dozen other workers from full-time status to having no guaranteed minimum of hours.
A new report from the Minneapolis Foundation shows dramatic differences between Minneapolis residents of differing races and ethnicities-disparities that begin at an early age and affect education, jobs, housing, and other aspects of life.
The jobless rate for African Americans in the Twin Cities is reportedly 24 percent compared to just 6 percent for Caucasians, giving the region the widest racial disparity among the unemployed in urban areas throughout the country.
Minnesota's official unemployment rate remained unchanged at 7.2 percent in August-in part because a "smoothing out" of data understated the effect of 22,000 laid-off state workers who returned to the job following the state government shutdown. A state official told Twin Cities Business that the "unsmoothed" rate is 7 percent.
Great Clips, Tastefully Simple, and Shield Services were included on the SBA 100 list, which features businesses from across the country that created at least 100 jobs after receiving support from the Small Business Administration.
A recently released report indicates that the hiring outlook for Twin Cities employers may be dimming; meanwhile, the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering is reportedly hosting the largest career fair in its history on Tuesday.
Federal authorities have given permission for engineering work to begin on the downtown Minneapolis-to-Eden Prairie light-rail line and approved a route for the proposed Twin Cities-to-Duluth passenger train.
The retailer reported a 4.1 percent increase in August sales, and plans to hire "thousands" in Canada in the years ahead.
Wells Fargo is accepting applications for a variety of mortgage-related positions at its Twin Cities offices.
Eric Kaler now leads a school with a $3.7 billion annual budget, 67,000 students, 4,000-plus faculty members, and 15,000 other employees-and he plans to embark on efforts to make the U of M more entrepreneurial. The September cover story in Twin Cities Business asks what makes him the right man for the job.
The electronics retailer reportedly plans to hire herds of information technology specialists over the next year-continuing the company's focus on digital strategies.
The search committee includes several local business leaders, including Bruce Beckman, finance director of General Mills; Lynn Casey, CEO of Padilla Speer Beardsley; and Reatha Clark King, former president and executive director of the General Mills Foundation.
Under the new agreement, Wisconsin students attending college in Minnesota will have to make up the difference between Wisconsin's and Minnesota's resident rates-a cost that was previously covered by the State of Wisconsin.
Minneapolis leaders have proposed transferring $1.75 million from the city's contingency account to help mitigate the effects of cuts to state aid-including the need for layoffs.
Jim Nelson has left his role as chief creative officer of the company, but he will continue to work with Carmichael Lynch on a contractual basis.