Tag: workforce

by Whitney Oachs, Research Intern Following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, communities across the nation held protests in support of people of color and structural change for policing. But while the unrest in the Twin Cities rightly dominated headlines, communities in even the most rural corners of the state also saw ...

  In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, with unemployment claims in Minnesota hovering at around 20% of the labor force, it might seem strange to talk about a workforce shortage. But just last winter (that seems so long ago, doesn’t it?) that’s exactly what we were talking about. As a follow-up to last year’s ...

    Last Friday (May 1, 2020), we convened a virtual gathering to discuss the rural response to COVID-19.  We decided to host this gathering because we were hearing from all corners of the state that the needs of rural Minnesota were not being heard in St. Paul.  Up until that point, most of the ...

We wanted to pass along this April 17 post from the MN Department of Employment and Economic Development’s blog. DEED is taking suggestions from business owners around the state on how they can operate safely during the pandemic.  As we continue careful planning for how to get more Minnesotans safely back to work, it’s been ...

By Kelly Asche April, 2020 Many industries across Minnesota are being impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic. Unemployment is at historical highs. Among all the policies being passed, a top priority has been creating new programs to support the recently unemployed. Soon, however, leaders will begin pivoting their attention from emergency measures to developing policies and ...

April 2020 By Kelly Asche, Research Associate & Marnie Werner, VP Research Note to readers: We were just getting ready to release this report when the COVID-19 pandemic showed up on Minnesota’s doorstep and everything changed. We believe the findings of our report still hold true since they review the past trends, but we have ...

By Kelly Asche Only a month ago, the primary focus for workforce development organizations in rural Minnesota was to implement strategies that recruited and retained workers in their regions. Their doors were being blown open by businesses in desperate need for employees. We conducted research on this topic and designated this as the number one ...

By Marnie Werner & Kelly Asche While it’s a relief to see something of a time frame on this epidemic, for many businesses, like restaurants and bars, salons, and their employees, end dates weeks out only indicate how much longer they need to be closed. It’s a tough blow, especially in rural areas where it ...

By Kelly Asche & Marnie Werner Not only is having a connection to the internet important on a normal day, but during times like this, when everyone is suddenly expected to work and learn from home, the traffic suddenly goes up many fold, taxing even the best of systems. That’s why it’s important to keep ...