skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Report: Minnesota Falling Behind in Jobs

play audio
Play

Thursday, October 18, 2007   

St. Paul, MN – New Minnesota employment numbers are raising eyebrows. The September jobless rate rose to 4.9 percent, which is above the national average of 4.7 percent. Diane O'Brien with the Minnesota A.F.L.-C.I.O. says the state used to be an economic leader -- but now, it's a follower.

"All Minnesotans should be concerned about the increasing and persistent unemployment rates we've seen over the past six years, because it's a drag on our economy. This is a state that worked well for decades. Our economic policies need to be reexamined."

State officials say there were 6,300 fewer jobs last month. Department of Employment Commissioner Dan McElroy explains monthly numbers fluctuate, and notes Minnesota employers have added almost 10,000 jobs in the last year. The latest jobless report shows the construction industry was hardest hit, losing 2,800 jobs statewide. The report blames the weak housing market.

O'Brien worries current state policies aren't focused on jobs and growth.

"One way to have increased employment would have been to look at the bonding and transportation bills that would have created jobs for working Minnesotans, as well as increased revenue for businesses, and made sure those bills passed."

She says workers who lose jobs are facing some big challenges.

"Am I going to be able to pay the mortgage? Will I be able to keep the health insurance for my children? How am I going to buy the food and the pharmaceuticals that our family needs? All of those things are swirling through people's minds when they're laid off. Those are real fears."

She says the longer people are unemployed, the more likely they are to lose their health coverage and homes. And, it's especially tough for older workers, who face hurdles finding new jobs.

More information is available from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development website at www.deed.state.mn.us.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021