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Hot jobs? Try healthcare, education
Published 12:00pm Monday, March 16, 2009Health care and higher education are bright spots in West Central Minnesota’s labor market, according to one state analyst.
Nate Dorr is a labor market analyst with Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). In collecting and analyzing employment data for Otter Tail and eight surrounding counties, Dorr says certain industries are hiring despite the economic downturn.
“By occupational group, health care has the largest number of openings,” he said.
Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, laboratory technicians, records technicians and home health aides are generally in demand at hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities in the region. Some chemical dependency and mental health centers are also hiring.
While jobs within K-12 education remain tight, the outlook at post-secondary institutions is better, Dorr said. That’s due in part to larger high school graduating classes over the past few years. Another factor: Many adults are going back to school for specialized training, particularly in the areas of information technology and management. Also, some colleges have partnered with businesses to provide custom training for employees.
Local banks are faring well despite problems plaguing their larger counterparts. A lot of the banks that got caught up with sub-prime mortgage loans were large institutions based in New York, Dorr said. Because local banks tend to be more conservative and are more familiar with their clientele, they managed to avoid the kind of lending that got larger banks into trouble.
Still, Otter Tail County’s unemployment rate sat at 10.4 percent in January, the highest since 1993. Construction-related jobs have been among the hardest hit. According to Dorr, plastics manufacturers in the region have cut 17 percent of jobs in the past three years.
Clearwater County has the highest unemployment rate statewide at 21.5 percent. The state average is 8.5 percent.
Additional data on in-demand occupations, job vacancies and employment projections is available by visiting www.positivelymn.com and clicking on “Labor Market Information.” Otter Tail County is in DEED’s Region 4, which also includes Clay, Becker, Wilkin, Traverse, Stevens, Pope, Grant and Douglas counties.
Dorr also recommends visiting DEED partner site www.iseek.org/westcentral for more on regional careers.
Dorr will be speaking at the kick-off of the Lakes Area Job Club tonight at M-State. The free event is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. in Legacy Hall.
