Rochester Area Still Down About 10,000 Jobs

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The job market in the Rochester area continues to slowly recover from the economic shutdown caused by the pandemic but the unemployment rate for Olmsted County remains over two and a half times higher than it was in March.

The latest jobs statistics from the state put the local jobless rate in July at 7-percent. That is down over a point and a half from June and is almost 3 percentage points below the 9.8-percent unemployment rate reported in May. Last July, the rate was only 2.7-percent. Over the past 12-months, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development estimates the Rochester area has lost about 10,000 jobs.

The 7-percent rate for Olmsted County also remained the highest rate reported in southeastern Minnesota for a third straight month. Houston County had the lowest jobless rate at 4.4-percent.

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