MANKATO — The Mankato-North Mankato area had slight job growth year over year, although the manufacturing sector continued to trend down, according to new data released Thursday.
The Department of Employment and Economic Development’s January employment data showed there were 57,712 area nonfarm jobs in January 2025, a 0.3% increase from a year ago.
Manufacturing jobs, however, were down 1.1%. Those jobs were down 2.2% in December.
Service providing and private service providing jobs rose by 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively.
Mankato-North Mankato’s job growth lagged behind Rochester’s 5% uptick. St. Cloud’s 1.1%, Duluth’s 0.9% and Minneapolis-St. Paul’s 0.9% outpaced the local area as well.
Statewide, Minnesota’s 9,600 added jobs amounted to the largest monthly gain since March 2024, according to a DEED release. The 0.3% job growth rate is triple the national rate.
The numbers are indicators of the Minnesota job market’s underlying strength, stated DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek.
“As we all confront an economic outlook that is much more uncertain, we are fortunate do so from a foundation of strength,” he stated. “At DEED we will continue to work hard to grow our labor force, connect workers to good jobs and help businesses take root and grow here in Minnesota.”
Education and health services contributed to 4,300 added jobs statewide, the biggest rise in January. Professional and business services had the next biggest jump in jobs at 1,900, followed by construction’s 1,200 jobs.
Only two of 11 “supersectors,” manufacturing and government, lost jobs.
Angelina Nguyen, director of DEED’s Labor Market Information Office, described Minnesota’s labor market being in a favorable spot to start the year.
“Minnesota’s labor market started 2025 in a strong position: strong wage growth, high labor force participation, low unemployment and job growth in many key industries,” she said.