Workforce
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A vibrant and growing workforce
Greater MSP is home to a labor pool of over 2 million and has the highest labor force participation rate for a large metro at 72%.
Labor Force Statistics
Greater MSP has a positive track record--and is poised to continue that growth in the coming years. Home to a labor pool of 2.0 million and the highest labor force participation rate for a large metro at 72%.
| Indicator | Greater MSP | Minnesota | United States |
| Labor Force | 2,078,876 | 3,143,411 | 170,744,000 |
| Employment |
2,011,356 |
3,050,513 | 163,895,000 |
| Unemployment | 67,520 | 92,898 | 6,849,000 |
| Annualized Unemployment Rate (2018) | 3.2% | 3.0% | 4.0% |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 70.80% | 68.10% | 62.60% |
Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (seasonally adjusted, except for Greater MSP metro statistics), 2025.
Wages and Job Availability
The region has an above-average concentration of employees in some of the most in-demand occupational categories, including brokerage clerks, CNC tool programmers and operators, machinists, computer systems analysts, industrial engineers, and marketing managers. Better yet, Greater MSP wages for these in-demand and specialized occupations are competitive with the national average.
Key Industry and Occupational Strengths
Employment in the jobs that support key industry sectors is growing.
A Thriving Destination
Greater MSP is a popular haven for skilled foreign workers seeking employment.
- 2,900 Annual H1-B visa requests — a leader among the largest U.S. metros (myvisajobs.com 2019 data)
- STEM occupations dominate the H1B visa request list in the twin cities, with engineers, developers, and system analysts filing the most requests (myvisajobs.com 2019 data)
- 11,600 foreign students live in Greater MSP — University of MN-Twin Cities is the most popular destination
- Over 1.2M residents of Greater MSP are from a different U.S. state or country (2013 U.S. Census)
- 29% came from another country
- 71% came from another state — top three metro regions are Chicago, NYC and Phoenix
Training
Minnesota State will partner to customize or create new training tailored to your workforce, your timeline, your industry, or your business plan. Examples of past training programs cover a diverse range of specialties, including environmental safety compliance, computer programming, ISO certification, manufacturing technology, and quality assessment/management.
Learn more about workforce solutions offered by the State of Minnesota: