Income and Work

Minnesota has one of the highest rates of labor force participation in the country, but that doesn’t mean that all Minnesotans are able to make ends meet. We research economic trends to understand who’s faring well in today’s economy, and who is left behind. We advocate for economic policies, particularly those that improve wages and job quality standards, so that more Minnesotans can thrive.

Research

November 2018

State of working Minnesota: Many Minnesotans working hard but barriers keep them from making ends meet

Minnesota has experienced a fairly strong economic recovery since the Great Recession, with low overall unemployment and a growing economy. However, many Minnesotans have not seen the wage growth we would expect nearly a decade into an economic recovery. And many still face barriers to finding good jobs and supporting themselves and their families, according to analysis of 2017 data from the Economic Policy Institute.

November 2017

Some Minnesotans struggling despite top line figures showing economic prosperity

The economic recovery has taken hold in Minnesota. A low unemployment rate and high labor force participation indicate a relatively strong labor market. This strong labor market hides the fact that some Minnesotans are still struggling to get ahead in today’s economy. Groups that struggled in the past – those who are have less than a high school education, communities of color, recent immigrants, and the young – still face employment barriers today.

October 2016

Minnesota economy improving but harsh disparities leave too many workers behind: The state of working Minnesota 2016

The U.S. economic recovery has been slow. Although Minnesota hasn’t been immune to the effects of an economic recovery characterized by fits and starts, Minnesota’s economy has a number of strengths, compared to the recent past and to national trends. Some economic indicators are back to pre-recession levels, including unemployment. Considering perhaps our most comparable neighbor, Wisconsin, our relative economic strength shines through with Minnesota’s higher labor force participation and higher median wages.

April 2016

Key groups of Minnesotans still struggling to find work in economic recovery

The economic recovery has taken hold in Minnesota. Our state has recovered the jobs lost from the recession, and our unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the nation. But these figures disguise the fact that many Minnesota workers are not sharing in the state’s economic growth. Since Minnesota’s economic strength depends on more Minnesotans successfully participating in the workforce, making opportunity available to all should be a priority.

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Income and Work Blog Posts

November 09, 2022

Minnesota college students increasingly facing basic economic, mental health challenges

Minnesota should prioritize funding basic needs programs and mental health services so that every college student can succeed regardless of their income or where they live.

October 31, 2022

Today’s high inflation highlights longer-term trend of wages not keeping up with cost of living

Into a third year of a global pandemic, many workers are struggling amidst steep inflation, and not all workers have benefitted from an improving labor market, particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) workers.

July 28, 2022

Roe reversal strips basic decision-making, economic security from millions of people

Currently abortions are legal and protected in Minnesota under the state’s constitution. But many people across the country, including in our neighboring states, cannot access their full reproductive and health care rights or may have to travel and undergo significant costs and strains to do so.

May 19, 2022

Minnesota Legislature passes bill on Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, frontline worker payments

After months of negotiation, the Minnesota Legislature recently passed legislation that addressed three major issues of ...

More Income & Work Blogs

Highlighted Research

State of Working Minnesota: Barriers Keep Many from Making Ends Meet

Despite Minnesota's economic recovery from the Great Recession, many Minnesotans have not seen the wage growth we would expect nearly a decade later. And many people still face barriers to finding good jobs and supporting themselves and their families, according to analysis from the Economic Policy Institute. Our State of Working Minnesota report digs deeper into the data.

Income and Work

Research

State of working Minnesota: Many Minnesotans working hard but barriers keep them from making ends meet

Some Minnesotans struggling despite top line figures showing economic prosperity

Minnesota economy improving but harsh disparities leave too many workers behind: The state of working Minnesota 2016

Key groups of Minnesotans still struggling to find work in economic recovery

Income and Work Blog Posts

Minnesota college students increasingly facing basic economic, mental health challenges

Today’s high inflation highlights longer-term trend of wages not keeping up with cost of living

Roe reversal strips basic decision-making, economic security from millions of people

Minnesota Legislature passes bill on Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, frontline worker payments

Highlighted Research

State of Working Minnesota: Barriers Keep Many from Making Ends Meet

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