Minnesota's unemployment rate remains steady

(FOX 9) - Minnesota's unemployment numbers remained steady in June, according to the latest jobs report released by the state Department of Employment and Economic Development Thursday.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June was 4%, which is the same number as May, DEED reported. The state's labor force participation rate remained 67.%.

Overall, Minnesota lost 600 jobs last month, with the private sector down 3,100 jobs—the first job losses since December.

Economic Commissioner Steve Grove responded to the news, saying "recovering from the pandemic will take time."

Nationwide, the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits has reached its lowest level since the pandemic took hold last year, the Associated Press reported. Thursday’s report from the U.S. Department of Labor showed that jobless claims fell by 26,000 last week to 360,000, down from 900,000 in early January.