The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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June 14, 2012

Mankato area lost 348 jobs in May, report shows

By Dan Linehan The Free Press

— The number of jobs in Blue Earth and Nicollet counties fell by 348 in May, a decline of .6 percent, led by a drop in the government sector.

The area's year-to-year change is still positive, a .6 percent increase, but is continuing to slow from the first-quarter average of 3.6 percent.

Statewide, employers shed 900 jobs, leaving the unemployment rate flat at a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.6 percent. Government was the strong spot statewide, as it added 1,200 jobs, a .3 percent increase from April.

It was the third straight month of statewide job losses, for a three-month total of 1,800. That figure includes a revision to April's estimate from 3,100 lobs lost to 900 jobst lost.

In the three months before that, through December of last year, state employers added a seasonally adjusted total of 31,900 jobs.

In a Thursday morning conference call with reporters, state Chief Labor Market Analyst Steve Hine said it was too soon to know whether the three-month soft period represents a worrisome long-term trend.

He also said Mankato appears to be losing some steam. The area's year-to-year job figures had been outperforming its peers, but May's numbers brought it more in line with state averages.

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