Minnesota Job Vacancy Key Findings
Job vacancies are current positions that employers are looking to fill. They are a measure of the demand for workers.
Knowing about job vacancies can help you target your job search.
How many job vacancies are there?
According to the most recent Minnesota Job Vacancies Survey (October-December 2009):
- Jobseekers are competing for fewer employment opportunities compared to last year: job vacancies in the state are down by 16.7 percent from one year ago, for a total of 25,885 vacancies.
- About 58 percent of all job vacancies (15,000) are located in the Twin Cities Seven County Metro Area, while the remaining 10,850 are in Greater Minnesota. For more information about job vacancies in a specific Economic Development Region, explore regional findings.
- There was just one job vacancy for every 100 filled positions in the state. During the same period there were 8.6 unemployed people for each vacancy statewide. One year ago, there were about 5.6 unemployed people for each vacancy. This increase in the number of unemployed compared to the number of vacancies indicates that the labor market is the least favorable for job seekers since the year 2000.
Where is the greatest need for workers?
Follow the links below to ISEEK pages where you can find more information such as occupation descriptions, average wages, education requirements, and more.
Occupation groups with the most vacancies
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Sales and related
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Office and administrative support
- Bank Tellers
- Bill and Account Collectors
- Billing Clerks
- Bookkeeping and Accounting Clerks
- Brokerage Clerks
- Computer Operators
- Copy Machine Operators
- Courier and Messengers
- Court Clerks
- Credit Checkers and Authorizers
- Customer Service Representatives
- Data Entry Keyers
- Dispatchers
- Executive Secretaries
- File Clerks
- General Office Clerks
- Government Benefits Interviewers
- Hotel Desk Clerks
- Human Resources Assistants
- Insurance Policy and Claims Clerks
- Interviewing Clerks
- Legal Secretaries
- License Clerks
- Loan Clerks
- Mail Carriers
- Mail Clerks
- Medical Secretaries
- Meter Readers
- New Accounts Clerks
- Office Managers
- Order Clerks
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
- Postal Clerks
- Production and Planning Clerks
- Proofreaders
- Receptionists
- Reservation and Ticket Agents
- Secretaries
- Shipping and Receiving Clerks
- Statistical Clerks
- Stock Clerks
- Telephone Operators
- Transportation Agents
- Typists and Word Processors
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Healthcare support
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Food preparation and serving related
Occupation groups with the least vacancies
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Protective services
- Animal Control Workers
- Bailiffs
- Corrections Officers
- Crossing Guards
- Detectives and Investigators
- Fire Fighters
- Fire Inspectors
- Fire Investigators
- Fish and Game Wardens
- Life Guards and Ski Patrollers
- Parking Enforcement Officers
- Police and Detective Supervisors
- Police Patrol Officers
- Private Detectives and Investigators
- Security Guards
- Sheriffs
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Farming, fishing, and forestry
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Legal
What kind of education and experience do new jobs require?
- Fourty-four percent of reported job vacancies require post-secondary education— a vocational degree or certificate, a two-year degree, a bachelor's degree, or an advanced degree. The remaining jobs require a high school diploma or less.
- Thirty-five percent of jobs call for experience specifically related to the position.
- As education and experience requirements increase, so do the wage rates offered, on average.
View Job Vacancy Survey by Occupation to find education and experience requirements for each occupation.
How will future demand be?
Job vacancies reflect short-term market conditions, not future prospects of an occupation. To find out whether the job you are searching or training for will still be in demand over the next years, visit Growing Careers
Source: Minnesota Job Vacancy Survey
, 4th Quarter 2009, 
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
