[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline solid” sep_color=”#000000″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]July unemployment numbers released[/title][fusion_text]Wednesday, August 26th 2015
The Central Minnesota July unemployment rate has experienced a modest improvement after a June spike. Data released from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development on Tuesday indicates the seven-county region of Morrison, Benton, Mille Lacs, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright counties along with the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area have all witnessed slight improvements. Morrison County was at 4.5% while the average July unemployment rate for the seven counties and the MSA is 4.1 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from June. Unemployment numbers across Central Minnesota for July have almost erased the slight increase the unemployment rate saw in June. The average unemployment rate for May was 4 percent. Benton County experienced the largest month-over-month decrease, down 0.4 percentage points to a July unemployment rate of 4.1 percent. Stearns, Todd and Wright counties saw the least improvement, down 0.1 percentage points to 3.7, 3.8 and 3.6 percent respectively. Mille Lacs County continues to have the largest unemployment rate, with July figures at 5.2 percent. Benton County showed the greatest year-over-year improvements for July, declining 0.3 percentage points from 4.4 percent unemployment in July 2014. Only the St. Cloud MSA, Stearns, Todd and Wright counties came in at or below the state average of 3.8 percent. All counties in Central Minnesota and the St. Cloud MSA were below the U.S. unemployment average of 5.6 percent during July, a rate that increased 0.1% from June.
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