Job Vacancies Remain Abundant in Minnesota

St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - The number of job vacancies in Minnesota during the spring and early summer was down slightly from a year ago, but remained historically high.

A report released Wednesday by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development shows there were about 97,600 job vacancies in the state during the second quarter. The total for the same three-month period the last year was about 300 higher and was the second highest total on record.

The state’s all-time record for job vacancies during the second quarter was reached in 2001 at just over 115,000.

The report put the ratio of unemployed people to job openings in the Twin Cities at 1 to 1, while there were 1.3 unemployed people for each job vacancy in Greater Minnesota.

35-percent of the openings were for part-time positions and 11-percent were for temporary or seasonal work. The median wage offer for the vacant positions was $14 an hour and 57-percent of the jobs included health insurance coverage. A majority of the job openings, 55-percent, were in the Twin Cities.