50-0 FILES:

State's jobless rate falls at record pace (Associated Press, May 18, 2004)

Minnesota's unemployment rate fell in April to 4.1 percent, the largest one-month drop in the unemployment rate in state history.

While careful to say it's not a trend until job growth happens for at least a couple of months, it's a good sign, said Oriane Casale, assistant director of labor market information at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

"We think this is one of the biggest signs to date that job growth is actually catching up with growth in the economy overall. And that's a good sign for people looking for work,'' she said.

The seasonally adjusted rate in March was 4.8 percent. The drop translates into 18,159 fewer people unemployed over the month.

Minnesota's rate was far below the national average, which was 5.6 percent in April. Nationally, employment rose by 0.2 percent.

Minnesota seasonally adjusted employment rose in April by 12,100 jobs, or 0.5 percent, from March. This growth - the largest one-month job gain since October 1999 - is largely due to increases in construction, manufacturing, and professional and business services.