June was an extremely strong month for job growth in the state with an increase of 14,700 jobs, according to figures released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). When added to the upwardly revised job gain of 3,300 in May and the 14,900 new jobs in April, the second quarter 2006 experienced a total job gain of 32,900-10 percent of the nation's growth and the highest quarterly gain since the first quarter of 1984.

Over-the-year job growth was a strong 2.7 percent-well above the national rate of 1.4 percent.

The state's unemployment rate also showed continued improvement in June falling a tenth of a point to 3.6 percent after dropping four-tenths in May. Additionally, the seasonally adjusted number of new claims for unemployment benefits-an indicator of the pace of layoffs across the state-dropped in June to a five and a half year low of 21,001.

"Minnesota's job growth has reached historic heights," said DEED Acting Commissioner Ward Einess. "This is very good news for Minnesota's economy."

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED
Unemployment Rate           June 2006             May 2006
                               MN            3.6 percent           3.7 percent 
                               US            4.6 percent           4.6 percent

NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED
Employment Rate   June 2006      May 2006        June '05-June '06 Level Change     June '05-June '06 % Change
                          MN    2,773,900       2,759,200                          73,110                                                     2.7 % 
                          US    135,230,000   135,109,000                 1,849,000                                                   1.4 %

County and substate figures for June should be available on the Web no later than July 25, 2006 at www.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/tools/laus/display.asp?geog=2704