Dayton to meet with Target CEO Cornell

Gov. Mark Dayton said today he spoke briefly to Target CEO Brian Cornell, and the two plan to meet early next week in the wake of the announcement that the mega-retailer expects to reduce its downtown Minneapolis workforce by "several thousand" in the coming years.

The company currently employs 13,000 corporate employees in the Twin Cities.

Dayton, whose family founded the company but retains no ties or financial interest, said he worried about the loss of young professionals in downtown Minneapolis.

"It's a lot of young, talented people who may be looking for jobs available here, but I strongly suspect are going to be recruited in other parts of the country. The potential loss of talented people is going to be very difficult," he said.