Department of Numbers

Rochester, Minnesota Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Rochester rose 0.1 percentage points in August 2021 to 2.7%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.1 percentage points lower than the Minnesota rate. The unemployment rate in Rochester peaked in May 2020 at 11.1% and is now 8.4 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.6% in July 2021, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.1 percentage points. You can also compare Rochester unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate August 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 5.2% -0.2 -3.2
Minnesota 3.8% -0.1 -2.8
Rochester 2.7% +0.1 -2.8
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with August 2021 data as September 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 14,416. There are now 11,052 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 3,202 in July 2021, the number of unemployed has now grown by 162.

Unemployed Persons August 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Rochester 3,364 +162 -3,684

Number of Unemployed Persons

Rochester, Minnesota Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Minnesota
Unemployment Rate		 Rochester
Unemployment Rate		 Rochester
Unemployed
September
2021		 4.8% — — —
August
2021		 5.2% 3.8% 2.7% 3,364
July
2021		 5.4% 3.9% 2.6% 3,202
June
2021		 5.9% 4.0% 3.3% 4,128
May
2021		 5.8% 4.0% 3.1% 3,877
April
2021		 6.1% 4.1% 3.1% 3,817
March
2021		 6.0% 4.2% 3.0% 3,749
February
2021		 6.2% 4.4% 3.4% 4,223
January
2021		 6.3% 4.5% 3.3% 4,058
December
2020		 6.7% 4.7% 3.6% 4,537
November
2020		 6.7% 5.0% 3.9% 4,962
October
2020		 6.9% 5.3% 4.3% 5,486

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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