MINNEAPOLIS – I am proud to share that the motion I brought forward to maintain Violence Interrupter services in the Cedar Riverside and Elliot Park neighborhoods passed in the City Council meeting. Violence Interrupters have consistently shown their value by de-escalating conflicts and building trust within our neighborhoods. Their efforts highlight the power of community-led approaches in preventing violence and creating safer environments for everyone.

The motion I brought forward included to first decreasing the budget for the Community Safety Center Pilots by $650,000 from the restricted Public Safety Aid balance in the General Fund. This will then allow us to increase the budget by allocating those funds for the Neighborhood Safety Department who carry out MinneapolUS Strategic Initiatives, to ensure violence interruption services continue in Cedar Riverside and Elliot Park. This funding will ensure that the essential work of Violence Interrupters can continue without interruption. The Neighborhood Safety Department will oversee the allocation of these funds, reinforcing our city’s commitment to reducing violence and supporting community-based solutions.

I also want to extend a special thank you to all 11 councilmembers who attended and voted in favor of this motion. I’m especially grateful to Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai and Councilmember Robin Wonsley for their assistance in writing this budget amendment. Additionally, I want to acknowledge Deputy Director Lea Lakes from the Neighborhood Safety Department for her continued support and dedication.

Thank you once again to my colleagues and our community for standing together in support of this important initiative.

-Jamal Osman

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St. Paul, MN – Minnesota jobs remained stable in February and the labor force grew by 3,800 people, according to data released today by the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

Minnesota lost 700 jobs in February, effectively flat over the month. The state’s unemployment rate stayed at 3.0% for the fifth month in a row, with the national unemployment rate at 4.1%. Minnesota’s labor force participation rate also stayed steady at 68.1% in February, compared to 62.4% nationally.

“Overall Minnesota continues to have a strong labor market with jobs numbers remaining stable in February,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “And over the year job growth is solid at 1.4% in Minnesota, outpacing the national rate of 1.3%. This is good news both for employers and our labor force.”

Five of the 11 supersectors gained jobs in February, led by strong months for Education & Health Services (up 2,100 jobs), Professional & Business Services (1,900 jobs) and Manufacturing (600 jobs).

Five supersectors lost jobs, with Leisure and Hospitality (2,900), and Trade, Transportation & Utilities (1,600) posting the highest decreases. Government lost 400 jobs over the month.

Over the year, Minnesota employers added 40,600 jobs – job growth that was faster than the nation in terms of total non-farm employment as well as private sector employment. Six supersectors gained jobs in Minnesota over the year, including Education & Health Services (up 25,300, with the Health Care & Social Assistance subsector up 5.0%); Government (up 11,900); and Other Services (up 4,475).

Wages in Minnesota continued to be very strong in February, rising more than double the rate of inflation.

“Overall, Minnesota’s labor picture in February is positive, with steady employment, a growing labor force and consistently robust wage growth,” said Angelina Nguyễn, director of DEED’s Labor Market Information Office.

Visit the DEED website to access full state and national employment statistics, monthly jobs numbers and further analysis of this month’s data. You can also find alternative measures of unemployment. In addition, find related articles about job growth and labor market changes in the latest issue of Minnesota Employment Trends. Access resources to help Minnesotans prepare for and find employment now at CareerForceMN.

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March 25, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Today, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office won a 2025 USA Today Top Workplaces award for the 4th year in a row. The Office previously won USA Today’s Top Workplaces award in 2024, 2023, and 2022. The award honors organizations with 150 or more employees that have created exceptional, people-first cultures. Award-winners are recognized for their commitment to fostering a workplace environment that values employee listening and engagement.

This year, the Office has for the first time broken into the top 100 of similar-sized employers nationally, ranking 63rd out of 873 organizations with 150-499 employees that have been named a Top Workplace USA. It is also the highest-ranked of all 41 Minnesota employers of the same size that have been so honored.

Of the more than 1,500 employers of all sizes across the country that have been awarded the Top Workplace USA distinction, only 15 are state government agencies. Of them, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office is the only attorney general’s office in any state to win this award.

Additionally, the Attorney General’s Office has won the Star Tribune’s Top Workplace award for the last four years as well, winning in 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021.

Attorney General Ellison has put in policies and procedures to support his employees in their work, to recognize their achievements, and to collect and act on their feedback. Attorney General Ellison holds monthly town hall-style, all-staff meetings where he takes questions from any and all employees. He also holds yearly meetings with each of the 20 divisions within the office, where he invites feedback from staff, listens to ideas, and works to implement the changes recommended to him.

Additionally, Attorney General Ellison has encouraged employees to form Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), where employees with similar backgrounds or lived experiences can come together to support one another both in and outside the workplace. The Attorney General’s Office has multiple ERGS, includes groups for veterans, BIPOC employees, caregivers, LGBTQ+ staff, women, and more. The office also has multiple committees, where employees can take a leadership role in improving the policies of the office to create a better work experience for everyone. These including committees focused on training, fun and wellness, recruitment and diversity, personnel, safety and security, and more. Through these initiatives and others like them, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has built and maintained a positive office culture, which has been repeatedly recognized by publications like the Star Tribune and USA Today.

“At the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, we treat everyone with respect, we listen to feedback, and we value everyone’s contributions in the workplace,” said Attorney General Ellison. “That’s how we’ve built a strong office culture and high morale among our staff. This isn’t just good for our employees, it’s good for helping the people of Minnesota afford their lives and live with dignity, safety, and respect. A positive, nationally recognized work environment also allows us to recruit the best and brightest people to work on behalf of Minnesotans. We’ve worked hard to create a workplace that’s supportive, transparent, and inclusive, and that’s good for absolutely everyone.

“The staff of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office are some of the most talented, caring, and dedicated people I’ve met, and working alongside them is a privilege each and every day,” added Ellison. “I am proud of what we have accomplished together on behalf of the people and the State of Minnesota, and I look forward to continuing that important work.”

The winners of the Top Workplaces Award are determined by authentic employee feedback captured through a confidential survey conducted by Energage, the HR research and technology company behind the Top Workplaces program since 2006. The results are calculated based on employee responses to statements about Workplace Experience Themes, which are proven indicators of high performance.

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