Minnesota jobless rate hits 5‑year high as ICE surge slams Twin Cities
Minnesota’s unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in January, a five‑year high, while statewide job growth remained essentially flat. The Twin Cities metro lost nearly 2,000 jobs in January, a downturn local reports attribute to a recent ICE enforcement surge tied to a federal immigration crackdown.
📌 Key Facts
- Minnesota's January unemployment rate was 4.4%, marking a five‑year high.
- The Twin Cities metro lost nearly 2,000 jobs in January.
- The report explicitly ties the January job losses and the unemployment spike to a federal immigration crackdown—described as an ICE surge during that period.
- These findings were reported by the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal (article dated 2026-04-03).
📊 Relevant Data
In September 2025, the unemployment rate for Black Minnesotans was 8.1%, compared to 3.0% for White Minnesotans and 3.7% overall in Minnesota.
Alternative Measures of Unemployment in Minnesota — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
In September 2025, the unemployment rate for Hispanic Minnesotans was 4.6%, compared to 3.0% for White Minnesotans and 3.7% overall in Minnesota.
Alternative Measures of Unemployment in Minnesota — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
In 2024, the unemployment rate for Native American Minnesotans was 9.3%, compared to 3.7% for the total population in Minnesota.
Alternative Measures of Unemployment in Minnesota — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
In September 2025, the labor force participation rate for Hispanic Minnesotans was 79.2%, compared to 67.9% for White Minnesotans in Minnesota.
Alternative Measures of Unemployment in Minnesota — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Since 2020, immigration has propelled Minnesota's population growth, accounting for the majority due to an aging native-born population and low domestic migration.
Minnesota needs immigrants to propel population growth. How will federal policy affect that? — MinnPost
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that Minnesota’s 4.4% January unemployment rate represents a five‑year high.
- Reiterates that the Twin Cities metro lost nearly 2,000 jobs in January, explicitly tying that damage to the federal immigration crackdown (ICE surge period).