Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Despite recent reports showing the Rochester area enjoys the state’s strongest job growth rate, the local unemployment rate for February was the highest it has been in more than three years.

The latest job statistics from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development put the jobless rate for Olmsted County in February at 3%. It was up 3-tenths of a percentage point from January and it marked the first time since July 2021 that the unemployment rate for the Rochester area has hit 3%.

READ MORE: Rochester’s Job Market Booms While Other Cities Lag

The local jobless rate was the lowest in southeastern Minnesota, where nearly every county reported higher unemployment rates in February. Fillmore County had the highest jobless rate at 4.3%, while Goodhue County experienced the largest increase, with its unemployment rate rising 4-tenths of a percentage point from January to 4.2%.

Get our free mobile app

Houston County was alone in not reporting an uptick in its jobless rate. It was steady at 3.7%.

Amount of Wine Sold in Minnesota in 2024

The Minnesota Department of Revenue has compiled figures on just how many bottle of wine were sold per month across the state in 2024. And, yeah, it's a lot!

Gallery Credit: Curt St. John