Minnesota’s unemployment rate rose 0.1 percent in July after adding 11,300 jobs, according to the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development.
 
Accounting for seasonal adjustments, the state’s unemployment rate of 3.9 percent in July continues to beat the national average of 4.9 percent in the same month. However, Minnesota’s lead is narrowing after a slow start to 2016.
 
Over the past year, job growth nationally has climbed 1.7 percent compared to Minnesota’s 1.5 percent increase.
 
In July, nearly every industry reported job gains or remained flat throughout the state. Leisure and hospitality led the July growth with 3,400 new jobs. Rounding out the top five were trade, transportation and utilities (up 2,100 jobs); other services (1,800); education and health care (1,700); government (700) and professional and business services (700).
 
The manufacturing industry (down 200 jobs) recorded the only loss for the month.
 
“Last month’s job gains pushed seasonally adjusted employment in Minnesota above the 2.9 million mark for the first time in state history,” said DEED commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “The state has gained 21,000 jobs in the past two months alone, a strong indication that the economy is continuing to grow.”
 
The four metropolitan regions tracked by DEED each experienced job growth with St. Cloud and Rochester leading the pack (both up 2.9 percent), followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul (1.9 percent), and then Duluth-Superior (0.1 percent).
 
There was also continued improvement in the employment situation of Minnesota’s black population. The black unemployment rate has steadily fallen from the 13.6 percent it started at in January. As of July, that rate has fallen to 8.7 percent.
 
The unemployment rate for Hispanic or Latino individuals in July was 5 percent.
 
In a blog post, DEED said the “improving employment conditions of Minnesota’s minority populations may be due to the state’s tight labor market.” Particularly in the summer, the higher-than-average number of jobs fairs has helped bring employment opportunities to Minnesota’s minority communities.