Swift. Stearns. Sherburne. Anoka. Kandiyohi. Meeker. Chippewa. Wright. Yellow Medicine. Lincoln Lyon. Pipestone. Populat
P.O. Box 3185 Mankato, MN 56002-3185 (507) 934-7700
www.ruralmn.org
Rural Reality:
Addressing the coming workforce squeeze What makes a community competitive? Focus on the individual. Population projections predict that as Baby Boomers retire, there will not be enough workers to fill vacant jobs. As a result, communities in Greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities will be competing for workers at all levels. Our research identified several factors that can make communities and regions attractive to potential employees, entrepreneurs, and people who want to work remotely. Kittson
Lake of the Woods
Marshall Beltrami
St. Louis
Pennington
Cook
Lake
Koochiching
Red Lake
Clay
Clearwater
Itasca
Norman
Mahnomen
Hubbard
Crow Wing
Wadena
Carlton
Pope
Kanabec
Benton
Stearns
Big Stone
6.3% to 21.9%
Sherburne Swift
Anoka
Kandiyohi
Meeker Chippewa
Yellow Medicine
Hennepin
22.0% to 37.9% 38.0% to 52.9% 53.0% to 68.9%
Carver
Sibley
Lincoln Lyon
Ram
McLeod
Renville
s.
Wright
Lac Qui Parle
Scott
69.0% to 84.4%
Dakota
Data: MN State Demographic Center
Redwood Rice
Rock
Murray Nobles
Cottonwood Jackson
Watonwan Blue Earth Martin
Goodhue Wabasha
Le Sueur
Faribault
Waseca
Pipestone
Nicollet Brown
Transportation: Not just roads and bridges but transit, biking and walking.
Cultivate dedicated workers with ongoing education and training programs.
Isanti Chisago
Traverse
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Douglas
Grant
Projected growth in senior population, 2015-2025
Pine
Todd
Washington
Otter Tail
The high cost of housing may price newcomers out of the town of their choice.
37.5% 21.9% 21.9% 6.3%
Aitkin
Wilkin
businesses, government and chambers can identify what jobs are vacant and who can 84.4% 68.8% 53.2% fill them. 68.8% 53.2% 37.5%
Cass
Becker
Stevens
Broadband: A must-have for newcomers and entrepreneurs.
Title hereWorking together,
Roseau
Polk
Be prepared to pay more. Fewer available workers can mean higher wages.
Be welcoming. Help newcomers mix and make friends.
Steele
Freeborn
Dodge
Mower
Olmsted
Winona
Fillmore
Houston
© July 2015 Center for Rural Policy and Development
Making a Competitive Community
Child care is a major barrier to work for some.
Immigrants & minorities are the fastest growing group.
If a town’s water system is out of compliance, there’s little chance for growth.
Where will workers come from in the future? From other states, other countries, and other ethnic groups
Visit our web site at www.ruralmn.org to read more on this topic.
150,000 120,000
• The Minnesota State Demographic Center projects the natural increase in the state’s population due to births and deaths to continue falling as deaths outnumber births for the next few decades.
90,000 60,000
• In the meantime, the number of people migrating in is expected to hold steady or even increase somewhat.
30,000
• Racial and ethnic minorities are the only population groups growing right now in the U.S., but their graduation and employment rates still lag behind those of whites. Helping them fill the workforce gap will require new strategies.
0
2025-2020
White
2020-2025
2025-2030
2030-2035
Number of individuals added in each five-year period.
Minority
The white population in MN is projected to decline while the growth in minorities is expected to stay fairly steady. Data: MN State Demographic Center
Title here Lake of the Woods
Mahnomen
Cass
Becker
Clay
Norman Hubbard
Clay
Yellow Medicine
Hennepin
McLeod
Renville
Lincoln Lyon
Scott
Above 20.0%
Dakota
Cottonwood
Watonwan Blue Earth
Nobles
Jackson
Martin
Faribault
Waseca
Pipestone
Rock
Murray
Goodhue Wabasha
Le Sueur
Steele Dodge
Freeborn
Mower
Olmsted
Winona
Fillmore
Houston
Kanabec
Isanti
Sherburne Anoka
Chippewa Lac Qui Parle Yellow Medicine
Meeker Wright Hennepin
McLeod
Renville
Change in population by age group, age 30-39 (2000) to age 40-49 (2010).
Chisago
Stearns
s.
0% to 19.9%
Rice
Nicollet
Pope
Swift
Redwood
Brown
Stevens
Mille Lacs
Benton
Big Stone
Negative change
Carver Sibley
Cass
Lincoln Lyon
Scott
0% to 19.9% Above 20.0%
Dakota
Redwood Rice
Nicollet
Rock
© July 2015 Center for Rural Policy and Development
Brown Murray
Cottonwood
Watonwan Blue Earth
Nobles
Jackson
Martin
Goodhue Wabasha
Le Sueur
Faribault
Steele Dodge
Freeborn
Mower
Wadena
Carlton
Pine
Traverse
Olmsted
Winona
Fillmore
Houston
Morrison
Douglas
Grant
Stevens
Pope
Mille Lacs
Benton
Stearns
Big Stone
Negative change
Carver Sibley
Crow Wing
Todd
Anoka
Kandiyoh
Meeker Chippewa
Wright
Lac Qui Parle Yellow Medicine
Hennepin
McLeod
Renville
Change in population by age group, age 40-49 (2000) to age 50-59 (2010).
Isanti
Sherburne Swift
Negative change 0% to 19.9% Above 20.0%
Carver Sibley
Lincoln Lyon
Scott
Dakota
Redwood Rice
Nicollet Pipestone
Lac Qui Parle
Traverse
Morrison
Kandiyohi
Wright
Ram
Chippewa
s.
Meeker
Pipestone
Anoka
Kandiyoh
Wilkin
Douglas
Grant
Otter Tail
Pine
Ram
Kanabec
Isanti
Sherburne Swift
Change in population by age group, age 20-29 (2000) to age 30-39 (2010).
Atlas of Minnesota
Stearns
Big Stone
Atlas of Minnesota
Mille Lacs
Benton
Chisago
Pope
Hubbard
Becker
Carlton
Todd
Washington
Traverse
Morrison
Douglas
Stevens
Cook
Aitkin
Crow Wing
Atlas of Minnesota
Wilkin Pine
Todd Grant
Otter Tail
Washington
Carlton
Wadena
Wadena
Wilkin
Mahnomen
Cass
Becker Aitkin
Crow Wing
Lake
Koochiching
Red Lake
Itasca
Aitkin
Otter Tail
St. Louis
Pennington
Clearwater
Norman Hubbard
Polk
Itasca Clearwater
Mahnomen
Clearwater
Norman
Cook
Lake
Koochiching
Red Lake
Itasca
Clay
Beltrami
St. Louis
Pennington
Kanabec
Polk
Chisago
Cook
s.
Lake
Koochiching
Red Lake
Lake of the Woods
Marshall
Beltrami
St. Louis
Pennington
Title here
Roseau
Ram
Marshall
Beltrami Polk
The “brain gain”?
Title here
Washington
Lake of the Woods
Marshall
Kittson
Roseau
Rock
Brown Murray
Cottonwood
Blue Earth Nobles
Jackson
Martin
Goodhue Wabasha
Le Sueur
Watonwan
Faribault
Waseca
Kittson
Roseau
Waseca
Kittson
Steele Dodge
Freeborn
Mower
Olmsted
Winona
Fillmore
Houston
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Extension, while studying Census data, have noticed that people move around a lot, and not everyone is moving to the Twin Cities. When Extension researcher Ben Winchester interviewed newcomers in West Central Minnesota, he found they had chosen the area for the quality of life. Jobs didn’t even make the top ten.
