Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) – The Rochester area continues to add jobs at a rate far higher than other parts of Minnesota.

The latest jobs data published by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development shows a Rochester Metropolitan Service Area, which includes portions of neighboring counties, experienced a net gain of nearly 6900 jobs from October 2023 through last month. That works out to a robust job growth rate of 5.5%.

Statewide, the job growth rate reported last month was only 1.1% while the state’s largest population center continued to shed a significant number of jobs. The data shows overall employment in the Twin Cities metropolitan area dropped by more than 11,200 jobs during the past 12 months for a negative job growth rate of .6%.

The report shows the Mankato area had a job growth rate of 3.6% year over year with a net gain of about 2100 jobs, while the Fargo-Moorhead area saw employment rise by 2500 jobs for a growth rate of 1.8%. Duluth had a negative job growth rate of 1.1% with the loss of more than 1500 jobs.

Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was steady last month at 3.4% with a net gain of about 3000 jobs from September. By comparison, the jobless rate for October of last year was 2.8%, while the national unemployment rate for last month was 4.1%.