A CONVERSATION WITH COMMISSIONER VARILEK
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“Job growth overall was 0.4%, four times the national rate of 0.1%. More than 2,700 Minnesotans joined the labor force, making this the 10th month out of the last 12 that saw labor force growth,” Varilek says. “We’re seeing 68.2% labor force participation, which is nearly 6 percentage points higher than the national rate of 62.5%.” Eight of the 11 supersectors gained jobs, and all told, Minnesota has gained 37,581 jobs over the year, faster than the national rate of growth.
We are proud to partner with MN DEED once again to distribute PROMISE Act Grants to entrepreneurs in southern Minnesota this summer.
- Brian Conzemius, Vice President CFO, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation
RESOURCES APLENTY DEED offers a series of standout
MINNESOTA DATA AT A GLANCE
resources for businesses to utilize. As Varilek explains, some of these tools are specifically for business development, including two evergreen resources that have supported businesses across the state for years, their Job Creation Fund (JCF) and Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF). “Working in tandem with the Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership (MJSP) and Job Training Incentive Program (JTIP) – our job training grants – JCF and MIF invest in local communities, allowing businesses to add jobs while MJSP and JTIP prepare skilled workers to fill them,” Varilek says. As a matter of fact, three recent projects in southeast Minnesota – Cytotheryx, Nucleus RadioPharma and Rion – have made use of these programs. “DEED is working with businesses like these across the state to prime our economy for growth,” Varilek says. “This fiscal year, these two programs have helped leverage nearly $1.2 billion in outside investment for business expansions around Minnesota, and helped create or retain over 4,700 new jobs – a new record.”
0.4%
Job Growth Compared to 0.1% Nationally
68.2%
Labor Force Participation Compared to 62.5% Nationally
3.1%
Unemployment Rate Compared to 3.6% in SE MN and 4.1% Nationally
JUNE 2025 — ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE | 9
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