Rochester Jobless Rate is the Highest in Over a Year
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The unemployment rate for the Rochester area edged higher in February due to growth in the size of the local labor force combined with a tiny decline in the number of jobs.
The latest jobs data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development shows the jobless rate for Olmsted County rose a tenth of a percentage point from January to 2.6%. It was the city's highest unemployment rate since January of last year. The jobless rate from February of last year was 2.1%.
The state data shows the size of the labor force and Olmsted County grew by more than 100 to 91,545, while total employment was down by six positions and stands at 89,148. A year ago, overall employment was up to 90,275 and the labor force exceeded 92,170.
Across southeastern Minnesota, every county reported higher unemployment rates in February. Olmsted County continued to report the lowest jobless rate in the region, while the highest rate was found in Fillmore County at 4.5%. Fillmore and Freeborn Counties were tied last month for the largest month-to-month increase at 3 percentage points.
