Minnsights Blog

April 2021 marked the one-year point from the largest economic downturn in Minnesota’s modern history. The shock to the economy last spring was staggering: Minnesota shed more than 400,000 jobs and lost over $36 billion dollars in GDP output, as in-person activities ground to a halt to slow the spread of COVID-19. To put this in perspective, Minnesota’s 2020 job losses exceeded the size of North Dakota’s entire workforce.

Economic strategy starts with building on core strengths and driving resources toward efforts that help existing businesses change and grow.

The Chamber's recent Workforce Solutions Forum brought together business leaders from around the state to find answers to a persistent challenge for many employers: finding workers.

Since the onset of COVID-19, businesses have had to pivot to provide more products, services and solutions for the increasingly digital world. With businesses looking for new ways to grow and reach new customers digitally, it's important to identify and advance digital strategies within their companies and connect with leading Minnesota suppliers who can help develop these solutions.

The Center for Workforce Solutions builds on the success of the Business Education Network (BEN). In partnership with local chambers, these efforts are customized to the workforce needs of specific regions. Grassroots private sector efforts are met with the successful collaboration of K-12, higher education and community leaders to build sustainable, nimble pathways to local careers or higher education opportunities.