Department of Numbers

Rochester, Minnesota Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Rochester fell 0.0 percentage points in October 2023 to 2.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.6 percentage points lower than the Minnesota rate. The unemployment rate in Rochester peaked in May 2020 at 10.9% and is now 8.3 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.1% in April 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.5 percentage points. You can also compare Rochester unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate October 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.9% +0.1 +0.2
Minnesota 3.2% +0.1 +0.2
Rochester 2.6% 0.0 +0.2
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with October 2023 data as November metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Rochester, Minnesota, National

Rochester, Minnesota monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Rochester, Minnesota Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Rochester peaked in May 2020 at 14,068. There are now 10,653 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 2,671 in April 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 744.

Unemployed Persons October 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Rochester 3,415 +28 +326

Number of Unemployed Persons

Rochester, Minnesota Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Minnesota
Unemployment Rate		 Rochester
Unemployment Rate		 Rochester
Unemployed
November
2023		 3.7% — — —
October
2023		 3.9% 3.2% 2.6% 3,415
September
2023		 3.8% 3.1% 2.6% 3,387
August
2023		 3.8% 3.1% 2.6% 3,390
July
2023		 3.5% 3.0% 2.6% 3,317
June
2023		 3.6% 2.9% 2.5% 3,224
May
2023		 3.7% 2.9% 2.5% 3,148
April
2023		 3.4% 2.8% 2.4% 3,044
March
2023		 3.5% 2.8% 2.3% 2,996
February
2023		 3.6% 3.0% 2.4% 3,064
January
2023		 3.4% 2.9% 2.4% 3,044
December
2022		 3.5% 2.9% 2.4% 3,099

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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