Rochester Area Hits New Employment Record For 6th Straight Month

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - For a sixth straight month, overall employment in the Rochester area hit a new record high in October.

The latest jobs data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development shows employment in Olmsted County rose to 94,041 last month. The previous high mark was reported in September had just over 93,900 jobs.

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Over the past year, employment in Olmsted County has risen by nearly 4200 positions. The entire Rochester Metropolitan Area, which includes portions of some neighboring counties, has added nearly 7000 jobs during the past 12 months for a job growth rate of 5.5%.

The Olmsted County data shows there was a modest drop in the size of the local labor force in October, which dropped the unemployment rate from 2.2% in September to 2% last month. It was the lowest the rate has been since May of this year and is nearly a full percentage point below the jobless rate reported for August. A year ago, the rate was reported at 1.7%.

Across southeastern Minnesota, every county reported lower jobless rates in October. Wabasha County had the lowest unemployment rate in the region and only 1.8%. Wabasha County also reported the largest month to month drop at 4-tenths of a percentage point.

The highest jobless report in southeastern Minnesota in October was found in Freeborn County at 2.3%.