MinnPost is pleased to launch our Good Jobs beat, which will feature regular coverage of exactly what it sounds like: good jobs in Minnesota.
As the story that kicks off our coverage today points out, since the end of the Great Recession, Minnesota has emerged from the economic crisis better than most. Indeed, the state added more than 40,000 jobs in 2015 alone, and Minnesota’s unemployment rate currently stands at 3.5 percent, well below the national figure.
Yet even as Minnesota has touted its resurgence, income inequality has persisted, as have substantial racial disparities between the state’s white citizens and those of color — in virtually all meaningful economic indicators.
With that in mind, MinnPost’s Good Jobs beat — spearheaded by staff writer Ibrahim Hirsi — will explore one of the most fundamental aspects of the state’s economy, and of residents’ quality of life: jobs. More specifically, what makes for a good job; what industries provide them; what role can government, nonprofits, businesses and individuals play in creating more of those jobs in Minnesota; and how those who currently don’t have such occupations can get them.
MinnPost’s coverage of good jobs was made possible by a grant from MSPWin, a philanthropic collaborative committed to strengthening the work force in the Twin Cities metro area.
As always, we welcome your feedback. If you have topics or stories you would like to see us cover as part of the beat, please send your suggestions to ihirsi@minnpost.com. In the meantime, make sure to check out today’s story.
