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Well Educated Workforce Minnesota has one of the most educated populations in the nation. Almost 91% of the adult population has at least a high-school diploma – the highest in the nation. More than 30% has a college degree – ranking Minnesota seventh nationally in adult educational attainment, according to the Education Research Center. The long-term outlook is even brighter. The Center scores Minnesotans a full grade higher (B+) than the national average in educational chances for success over their lifetime. The 13-county Twin Cities MSA is the fourth most educated among the top 25 MSAs. Two-year or four-year degrees are held by more than 36% of the adult population – compared to 27% nationally. (U.S. Census, 2006) Nearly 10% hold graduate or professional degrees. (Cities Ranked and Rated, 2007)
High Workforce Participation Minnesota has the third highest proportion of people in the workforce – 73% compared to 66% nationally. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007) That’s significant, since labor force participation is a major measure of workforce supply, and the national participation rate is expected to slow substantially in the years ahead. (“Recent Decline in Labor Force Participation,” Federal Reserve System, 2006) More than 87% of the workforce is a white or blue-collar worker, according to Cities Ranked and Rated, 2007. The state’s work ethic is legendary, resulting in one of the lowest rates of absenteeism in the country.
Low Unemployment Unemployment in Minnesota tends to mirror the national rate. In 2007, both averaged 4.6%. Thanks to its diverse economic base, Minnesota has substantially outperformed the Midwest region as a whole, which has hovered at 5.1% for three consecutive years. Unemployment in the Twin Cities MSA is generally lower than the rest of the state and nation: it averaged 4.3% in 2007. MarketWatch recognized the region’s “low jobless rate and economic resiliency” by naming it the nation’s “best metro area for business” in 2007.
Growing Population and Labor Force The 13-county Twin Cities MSA is the 16th most populous metro area in the U.S. After double-digit population growth during the 1990s, its population jumped by another 8% through 2007. In the next five years, the population of the 11-county Metro MSP region is projected to grow by 4.6% to 3.23 million. (MSP Prospector) Against this backdrop of steady population growth, the Metro MSP region expects to expand its labor force by 5.3% by 2012. The total projected labor force will exceed 1.9 million by 2012. (MSP Prospector, 2007)
Large Technology Talent Pool Minnesota's high-tech employment exploded in the1990s, reaching 15th place in the nation in 2007. More than 8,000 high-tech firms employ nearly 270,000 skilled workers. Businesses using high-tech processes employ thousands more.
Key Labor Force Descriptors
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey For more workforce data on the 11-county Metro MSP region, click on Data Center or MSP Prospector. For long-range labor force estimates and projections, visit the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
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