Minnesota's unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent in June, the lowest it's been since May 2008.
Last month the state rate was 5.3 percent.
But the report from the state Department of Employment and Economic Development says only a total of 400 jobs were gained in the month. The private sector added 2,500 jobs, but government jobs fell by 2,100.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 7.6 percent in June, unchanged from May.
The DEED report says the state has added 54,100 jobs over the past year, a growth rate of 2 percent. The U.S. growth rate during that period was 1.7 percent.
DEED Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben said:
"The Minnesota economy continues to improve, with the unemployment rate reaching a post-recessionary low point and private sector employers adding 2,500 jobs in June. We have now recovered 95 percent of the jobs that were lost in the recession."
The June details:
Up
- Professional and business services added 3,600 jobs
- Trade, transportation and utilities up 1,900
- Leisure and hospitality up 1,400
- Logging and mining up 200
- Education and health services up 100
Down
- Government down 2,100
- Financial activities down 1,200
- Construction down 1,000
- Manufacturing down 1,000
- Information down 900
- Other services down 600