Minnesota’s jobs recovery slowed down in April with the state gaining 11,300 jobs, the fewest in any month this year.
Minnesota gained 20,400 jobs in March, a number which was slightly revised downward by the state jobs agency in data released Thursday. And it added 12,400 jobs in February and 51,600 jobs in January.
The U.S. as a whole also did not see as many jobs return in April as economists expected: 266,000 compared to 770,000 jobs in March.
The slowdown came even as businesses ramp up hiring and more people get vaccinated against the coronavirus that put the brakes on the economy last year.
Unemployed workers continue to face challenges, such as child care availability and cost. Some remain worried about the danger posed by the virus.
Minnesota has now recovered about 57% of the 416,000 jobs it lost in the first few months of the pandemic last year.
“We’re continuing to see job growth,” Steve Grove, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, said in a statement. “At DEED, we are proactively working with Minnesotans looking for work and connecting them with employers who need talent. There are many good jobs available now.”
The state’s unemployment rate also ticked down slightly in April to 4.1%, down from 4.2% the month before. The decline was mostly due to people getting jobs. The U.S. unemployment rate rose slightly to 6.1% in April.
The pace of the job recovery has turned into a political battle. Many Republicans say that the additional government payments created for the unemployed at the outset of the downturn are now keeping people from returning to the workforce. Democrats tend to argue that pulling back those benefits now will slow the rebound of the broader economy.
Professional and business services saw the biggest gains last month in Minnesota with 4,800 jobs, followed by government with 3,200 jobs, leisure and hospitality with 3,100 jobs, trade and transportation with 2,500 jobs, and construction with 1,100 jobs.
That was offset by losses in education and health services, which declined by 3,000 jobs, and financial activities which was down 1,200 jobs.