Minnesota jobless claims rise to 5,576 for week ending January 31 as more people lose jobs

More people in Minnesota are looking for help after losing jobs. Last week, 5,576 people filed for benefits, which is higher than the 4,794 people from the week before.
By Newsroom | Economy, Minnesota |

Initial jobless claims in the state saw a week-over-week bump.

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Minnesota nudged higher in the week concluding January 31. The numbers, a snapshot of recent job cuts, climbed to 5,576. This represents an uptick from the 4,794 claims filed the preceding week, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The raw numbers for initial claims in Minnesota, a signal of potential job displacement, registered 5,576 for the week ending January 31, a rise from 4,794 the prior week.

Nationally, the trend mirrored this slight increase, with U.S. unemployment claims on a seasonally adjusted basis reaching 231,000, up 22,000 from the week before.

The intricacies of jobless metrics.

Data visualization tools offered by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) allow for a more granular look at unemployment insurance statistics. These resources track demographic information of individuals filing for benefits, including details on their occupation, industry, education level, race, sex, and region. Both weekly and monthly data sets are available, facilitating comparisons over time.

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'Continued claims', also termed 'insured unemployment', refers to individuals who have already filed an initial claim and are seeking benefits for a subsequent week of joblessness. This metric is based on the week of unemployment itself, not the week an initial claim was lodged. Data on continued claims in Minnesota is tracked by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis through its FRED database, with the understanding that all figures are subject to revision.

Broader economic context.

Across the United States in December, unemployment rates shifted in various states. A total of 255 metropolitan areas saw an increase in jobless rates compared to the previous year, while 110 experienced a decrease, and 22 remained steady. Nonfarm payroll employment saw little change nationwide, with a slight increase in just 5 areas and a decrease in 2, while the vast majority remained essentially unchanged.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many people filed for new unemployment benefits in Minnesota for the week ending January 31?
A total of 5,576 people filed for new jobless benefits in Minnesota during the last week of January. This is an increase of 782 people compared to the 4,794 filings from the week before.
Q: Did the number of jobless claims in the United States also go up in late January?
Yes, the whole country saw more people losing jobs. National unemployment claims rose by 22,000 to reach a total of 231,000 for the same week.
Q: Where can people find details about who is losing jobs in Minnesota?
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has tools to show which industries and regions are losing the most jobs. These tools help people see if job losses affect specific groups like certain ages or education levels.
Q: What is the difference between initial claims and continued claims in Minnesota?
Initial claims are for people who just lost their job this week. Continued claims are for people who have been without a job for more than one week and are still asking for money.