• Quarterly Business Report
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  • Labor Market Report
• Population
• Major Employers
• Area Economic Profile
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• Partners for Strategic Growth

Tri-County Labor Force: The Good News
The St. Cloud area's flourishing economy has created an impressively steady unemployment rate--currently at 5.3%. According to local area unemployment statistics, the unemployment rate for the three area counties--Stearns, Sherburne, and Benton--is generally one or two percentage points below the nation's and just slightly above Minnesota's overall unemployment rate. That's good news. People in our area--for the most part--are working.

Unemployment Statistics - May-June 2008

St. Cloud is the third largest city in Minnesota outside the 7-County Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, behind Rochester and Duluth. Total population in the St. Cloud MSA in 2006 was 183,217 people, a 9.5% increase since 2000.

St. Cloud is the third largest city in Minnesota outside the 7-County Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, behind Rochester and Duluth. Total population in the St. Cloud MSA in 2006 was 183,217 people, a 9.5% increase since 2000.

Clearly, when considering expanding or relocating a business, companies want to locate where the people are--both customers and employees. Indeed, Central Minnesota certainly fits that bill.

St. Cloud Area: Minnesota's Manufacturing Engine
Over 90% of Minnesota's growth in the manufacturing is happening right here in Central Minnesota. To learn more, view the Presentation and Report Prepared by DEED Regional Labor Market Analyst Cameron Macht.

Total Population in the St. Cloud MSA

Local Population Changes 

Click here http://www.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/__shared/assets/Region7W_040616253.pdf for information on the Central Minnesota Labor Market. Workforce training and development initiatives in the area abound. The region includes six completely separate and distinct agencies that The Partnership works closely with, and all are dedicated to labor force development, customized training, and related services. You can find out more about specific educational institutions in the Education and Training section of this Web site, but here's a brief summary of the agencies and services that are provided:

College of Saint Benedict & Saint John's University
Nationally recognized Catholic liberal arts colleges and ranked as two of the top three Catholic colleges in the nation. They share one academic program and students attend classes together on both campuses. This integrated learning experience combines a challenging academic program with extensive opportunities for international study, leadership, service learning, spiritual growth and cultural and athletic involvement.

Minnesota School of Business
Globe University/Minnesota School of Business is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges to award diplomas, Associate in Applied Science degrees, Bachelor of Science degrees, and Masters degrees.

Minnesota Workforce Center
The Partnership works closely with the workforce center on labor force-related initiatives. This agency is a one-stop service center housing three divisions of DEED (Rehabilitation Services, Services for the Blind, and Job Service) as well as some programs of Stearns County Human Services and all of Stearns-Benton Employment & Training Council (a local workforce development agency, see below for more information). It also provides access to the largest source of qualified applicants and the opportunity for companies to list job openings on a computerized, Internet-based job system. Companies also get employee recruitment and screening assistance as well as labor market data and business-related information. In addition, a job analysis service analyzes the skill levels of various occupations and assesses the skill levels of potential and current employees. Employers can use this information to target training programs for employees. MN Job Service teams up with The Partnership to co-sponsor the annual Community Job Fair.

Rasmussen College
A regionally accredited institute of learning, granting degrees through the Bachelor level with an online component.

Resource Training & Solutions
This organization provides hands-on classroom, on-line and customized training. Customized training is done on the company’s site with a portable lab, or in Resource’s state-of-the-art training facility in St. Cloud. Resource Training and Solutions has also partnered with the College of St. Scholastica to bring accelerated bachelor and master degree programs to the St. Cloud area. Classes are highly interactive and encourage students to share experiences while growing in knowledge of both theory and practice. A master’s degree in education is also available.

St. Cloud Technical College
Employers find high quality, customized training for their workers here. The College's Center for Innovation and Economic Development designs and delivers customized in-house and on-site training to meet specific company needs. State funding for this service helps to keep costs below market rates for similar services.

St. Cloud State University
The University's Office of Sponsored Programs matches business needs with an array of resources: employee training and education options, consulting and technical assistance from doctoral-level faculty, research and organizational or product development, links to field-specific top senior and master-level students for internships or special projects, and contract research development.

Stearns-Benton Employment & Training Council
This agency helps identify and prepare potential employees. Candidates seeking assistance from The Council are screened on seventeen areas of skill and work habits to ensure a good employment match. Additionally, companies that hire from The Council receive in-kind training assistance which amounts to an additional workforce training subsidy. The Council also assists area employers through school-to-work activities such as job fairs, apprenticeships, and internships.