Jobless numbers take welcome drop

For the second straight month, lakes area jobless numbers continued to drop - in some cases posting lower unemployment levels than were seen during all of 2009.

Brainerd's 12.4 percent jobless rate is the lowest the city's has seen since it posted a 9.8 percent rate in October of 2008. The Brainerd micropolitan - which covers Cass and Crow Wing counties - had an unemployment rate of 7.8 percent for May.

That is the lowest unemployment level in the micropolitan in 19 months.

The jobless rate is lower than 10 percent in all but one of the seven area counties of Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Todd and Wadena.

Jobless rates

Area county unemployment rate percentages dropped again last month. Rates for this May, and this April, followed by numbers from May 2009 and May 2008, May 2007.

Aitkin - 8.1, 9.8, 10, 6.9, 6.1.

Cass - 8.9, 10.4, 9.4, 6.7, 5.7.

Crow Wing - 7.4, 8.8, 9.5, 6, 5.

Mille Lacs - 10.3, 12, 12, 7.9, 6.8.

Morrison - 7.7, 9.4, 10.4, 5.9, 5.

Todd - 6.7, 7.8, 8.7, 5.4, 4.6.

Wadena - 8.6, 9.8, 10.4, 6.6, 5.9.

Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Mille Lacs County was the only county with double-digit unemployment for May at 10.3 percent.

In an area known for its seasonal employment spikes, the increase in jobs as summer arrives is expected. But the good news may be the extent of the change. The jobless numbers for this May - in all but one of the seven area counties - is lower than the unemployment rates for all of 2009. Cass County was the sole exception.

Out of a labor force of 105,295 people in the seven-county area, 8,454 people were listed as unemployed as of May.

Brainerd's unemployment level of 12.4 percent was down from nearly 15 percent in April and from 19 percent in January. May's numbers mean 914 people were unemployed from a labor force of 7,377 in the city.

But the city continues to have the highest jobless rate in the state for cities with populations of more than 10,000.

Only three cities in the state had jobless rates of more than 10 percent with Bemidji, at 11.1 percent, and Grand Rapids, at 10.9 percent, joining Brainerd on the short list.

Many other cities were in the 5 percent to 6 percent range and as low as 3.2 percent in Marshall and 4.6 percent in Worthington. St. Cloud's jobless rate was 6.5 percent and Duluth was 6.6 percent for May.

The state's jobless rate for May was 6.4 percent or 7 percent when seasonally adjusted, which continued a downward trend. There hasn't been a lower jobless rate in the state since the late fall or early winter of 2008.

Nationally, the jobless rate was 9.3 percent in May or 9.7 percent when seasonally adjusted.

RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.