Enough Negative News
Don Schmitz / Human Resource Staffing


The news focuses on gloom and doom and I’ve heard enough negatives. So let’s add a bit of healthy skepticism to counter all the negative forces. Where can we expect the new jobs to come from in the future? With unemployment in Minnesota at 6% and national unemployment of 6.5% sure to go higher, everyone wonders, “Will I have a job tomorrow?”

According to the state of Minnesota, the medical device sector should remain strong for years to come thanks to the industry’s sound foundation and an aging population who will be taking advantage of its products.

IT remains strong. Minnesota is the 7th largest user of the internet in our homes. Approximately 1/3rd of IT employees are involved in system design.

Manufacturing is looking strong especially in northern MN where there has been a boom in precious metal companies. The manufacturing sector has received new grants to retrain and recruit this growing workforce. These positions tend to pay higher than average salaries.

The Food industry is expected to add approximately 10,000 jobs in the next 10 years in Minnesota.

Finally, President-elect Barack Obama has made a promise: to save or create 2.5 million jobs over the next two years. Hopefully Minnesota will gain a fair share of these new positions.

So, as Robert Frost, one of America's greatest poets stated, “You can sum everything I’ve learned about life in three words, "It goes on."