ST. PAUL, Minn. – The state lost almost 50,000 jobs in December, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reported. The loss was due mostly to CoVid pandemic restrictions put in place in November the agency said. State Commissioner Steve Grove said that another weak sign was a drop in state labor participati0n data to 69.7%, compared to 70.3% a year earlier. About CoVid, Grove said the new employment data confirmed expectations. He did, however, sound an optimistic note: “Just 10% of those surveyed said their job loss was permanent.”
